Bloody Blossoms
by sarsaparillia
Summary: It doesn't take much, to be a thief. Seven friends, three weeks, and the instances in between.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes**: K, people, I don't own this. I don't even own this idea. It belongs to -**butIdoLOVEyoU-**I just stole it. I asked for permission, and she gave it to me!! YAY!! I just… slightly… altered it. Okay, I altered it more then a little, but that doesn't matter, now does it? This is Stockholm Syndrome, only… very, very different… K, there are seven main characters in this story. Sakura, Temari, Ino, Ten Ten, Hinata, Karin and Anko. I have changed their personalities slightly, to fit the way the story is going to go. This is my very first fanfic, so please be gentle with me. I probably don't really need to be let down easily tho' XD

**Disclaimer**: Ha, if I owned Naruto, I would be rich beyond belief. And I would be able to play the characters at my own will. It would also probably be WAY more then just PG13 rated. For all the blood and gore, and, more then likely, sex, so, well… ya.

**Dedication:** To Chelsey, my dearest, darlingest best friend who I nearly modeled Ino on. The shopping and fashion fetish was an ace in the hole. Also to TwoTails, because she makes me smile. The Kaka/Anko is for you, because we both love it so much. Also, to the authoress of Stockholm Syndrome **-butIdoLOVEyoU-** who has made this story possible.

**Pairings:** )Sasu/Saku, Shika/Tema (yes! I LOVE shika/tema!! Negi/Ten, Naru/Hina, Suika (for Iia, if she ever reads this…), ShIno (I didn't know who else to put her with… If anyone cares enough to read this, and they have a suggestion, it would be muchly appreciated), and Kaka/Anko. Wait a sec… how come it's the guys name first in every single one of those relationships? …It just sounds better, I suppose… Ya, I know that I'm weird as all get out.

* * *

Sakura was waking up. She yawned, and growled at the thing that was making noise. Which happened to be her alarm clock.

She grabbed it, and threw it against the wall. The crash that met her ears was satisfying and welcomed.

But then she heard it.

The screech that meant that Ino had been so rudely awoken by said crash. Ino's shriek woke up the rest of the household. Six women all were awake, but not because they wanted to be.

Ugh. Temari hated mornings. Why was anyone awake right now? It should be illegal. It was six-fucking-thirty-in-the-morning. She was going to kill Sakura when she got the chance. AFTER she had some coffee.

Stupid chick kept destroying her alarm clocks. Damn. Was it her turn to make coffee? She couldn't remember. Temari grudgingly got up, and began to make her way to the kitchen.

Ino hated life at the moment. The crash that was Sakura's alarm clock woke her up. She should be used to it by now, but she wasn't.

'Third one this week. Why does she even try?!'

was all that Ino could grumble to herself. It didn't matter anyway, the needed to be up this early. Excitement hit her hard in the chest. She yawned and stood up.

"Time to get to work... GIRLIES! WE HAVE WORK TO DO!!"

One very important thing anyone should know about Ino. If she wanted you to listen, you would listen, whether you liked it or not.

Hinata woke suddenly, a little time before the morning screaming commenced. She mentally shrugged, knowing there was nothing she could do about it. The young researcher normally woke earlier then the sun, which was strange, because she went to bed so late.

It was required, in their line of work.

She grabbed her favorite house coat and leisurely began to walk downstairs when the morning began. A smile touched her lips as she began to make the morning coffee.

Karin laughed as she woke up to screeching. Yet another good morning's sleep ruined by Sakura's tendency to destroy her alarm clocks. It had never bothered her before, and she wasn't going to let it start bothering her now.

She forced herself to get out of bed. She stretched, yawned, pulled her slippers on, and then she stumbled down the stairs. She was sure Hinata had already started making breakfast, she could already smell it.

Anko, the oldest of the girls, really had to wonder why she put up with this, usually four times a week. Oh, ya, it paid better then almost any other job on the planet. A smirk crossed her lips as she reached for her hair band. She quickly put her hair up, grabbed her slippers, and rushed down the stairs. There was dango waiting downstairs in the kitchen, so what was she still doing up here?

Ten Ten groaned. She loved her housemates, she really did, but mornings were not the best part of the day in their little family. And with Ino shrieking the way she was, they would never get anything done. Ten Ten got up, muttering all the way. As she trudged downstairs, she caught a bit of the excitement that had Ino all worked up. She couldn't really blame the girl; this was going to be one of the best days in any of their lives.

Sakura was still in bed. It was as simple as that. But she could hear the rest of her family going downstairs to the kitchen, so she decided to leave her comfy bed in favor of them. Then she realized that Temari and, more then likely, Ten Ten, would be after her ass for breaking yet another alarm clock. Meh, who cared, really? It's not like they would ever actually hurt each other. They would just buy another one when they went out later.

As she walked down the stairs, she caught the smells of bacon, pancakes, and, more importantly, coffee.

She rushed the last few steps, to find a plate of food waiting for her. She smiled gratefully at everyone in the room. They all glared for a moment or two, with the exception of Hinata, who really could have cared less, before grinning and letting her sit down. And with that, the clatter of knives and forks began once again. Small talk was made, and then Ino decided to announce the reason she was so excited.

"Ladies. Today is important. Can you believe that we've been at doing this for five years already? Five years to the day that we all found each other. We were a bunch of vagabonds then, weren't we?"

Temari and Karin hooted at this, as Ten Ten put in diplomatically "We're STILL a bunch of vagabonds, hun!"

All six of them laughed, and then Ino continued.

"Very true. But at least we're _rich_ vagabonds. And that's what matters, isn't it?"

They all laughed again.

Anko was thinking to herself.

"Hey, Tema, what have you been scoping out lately? There are quite a few things we could 'check out'."

The eldest woman of the group made over-exaggerated quotation marks in the air. Every person in the room suddenly got, evil, identical grins on their lips. Temari could only grin at them widely.

"I was thinking something big. Y'know, 'cuz it's our anniversary. We might as well have some fun, right?"

The women continued to grin.

"I was thinking something along the lines of that ornamental fan and those pair of katana's that Ten Ten likes so much, at the Museum of Iwagakure. What say you, girls? Sound like fun?"

Sakura smirked.

"Fun? Temari, that's beyond perfect. I can pick up that awesome necklace I saw there last time!"

The girls continued to smile, smirk, and grin according to their natures. Ino nodded.

"Right then, I ought to get to work on that bullet proof suit I was working on. We are doing this tonight, right?"

Temari answered her right away

"Of course, why wouldn't we? You're almost done that as it is. Panda, you got everything we need?"

The girl in question looked scandalized.

"When am I NOT armed to the teeth? Puh-lease. Saku, you're the best thief we have, no offense Anko, and I know you like to work with a pair of small handguns. I need you to try out these new pair I just got in, k?"

The purple-haired woman laughed.

"None taken chicklet."

Sakura nodded to Ten Ten's last comment.

"Right. You take such good care of me. I love you all. I'm going to go take a shower. And, seriously Anko, I'm amazed at you. How is it you keep them off our tracks?"

The 23-year old laughed again.

"Well, it's not like you guys leave much evidence anyway. And that's only if the other side is very, VERY lucky. And that's why I make a better cover story. You kids play nice now. I'm off for a long soak in the bath."

All the females in the room began to drift off to do what they needed to do, so that they could get ready for the evening of fun and games they had set up for themselves. Calls of "Breakfast was awesome Hinata, loved it!" followed after every exit. Hinata just smiled serenely, and finished cleaning up.

The youngest female of the group (only by a little bit! Ten Ten was a week and a half older… Dammit…) stood up and followed the rest of her comrades out of the kitchen. She turned and nodded to Karin. Sakura's body double was still sipping her hot chocolate. She waved her hand and murmured quietly with a grin on her lips to Hinata.

"You shoo. I know you want to work on whatever it is you're working on. The dishes can wait, I'll do them." There was a research lab calling Hinata's name, and she intended to comply with that call.

Sakura was getting ready. Physically and mentally. She knew that if she wasn't prepared (that's a laugh and a half, she had always been prepared, for every job they've ever even THOUGHT of working on) she'd be dead.

Temari would short-circuit everything, and giver her about three minutes to get in and out. Ino would have that bullet-proof body suit finished, finally, and with any luck, it would go off without a hitch. The only thing she was worried about, however, were their rivals, Sharingan. What if they were doing this job too?

She mentally berated herself.

'Best not to think about that now. Think about getting ready. Think about how much fun this is going to be!'

She grinned at the small compensation, but she could not help but worry, and hope to God that nothing bad would happen. She was getting tired, pounding away as she was at the punching bag. It didn't really deserve this, did it? But that didn't matter; this would get rid of the worry. It always did.

The constant pounding –bam bam bam bam- made her feel much better.

**At the same time, in the lab with Hinata**

"Dammit, why does this keep happening? This chemical reaction shouldn't be happening until later, when I add the silver iodide, so why is it happening NOW?"

The indigo-haired girl could barely believe it. This was NOT supposed to be happening. At least it wasn't blowing up, unlike last time. Anko had nearly murdered her for that one. She snorted as she thought of the look on Anko's face when she had pulled that trick.

However, it had led her to the invention of a very useful smoke bomb, which would knock out anyone who hadn't taken the antidote. She had also figured that out. All she had to do there was reverse the polarity in the capsule, and there you go, you have your antidote.

Another memory floated to the surface. She had tried the smoke bomb on an unsuspecting Ten Ten, to hilarious results. The poor girl had been out for hours. After she had woken up, she had screamed at Hinata for an hour and a half about etiquette.

At least she knew it worked. Hinata grinned evilly. Ten Ten had tried to kill her for that little stunt. Hmm. How come her friends tended to try and kill her? She had no clue.

She couldn't wait for Sakura to try out her little smoke bomb on someone. Hinata had designed the smoke bomb so that if you hadn't taken the antidote and hour prior at the very least, you would be knocked out cold.

She could only grin and hope that some random guard got a whiff of the stuff. The owners of the place would wonder what had happened, because she (Hinata) had given Sakura a fake necklace (and every other thing else she would be lifting that night) to replace the one they were going to be stealing.

They fakes were exactly the same as the real version. Weight, looks, sheen on the gold, everything. It might as well be the same necklace, except for one small detail. It was a fake. A very clever fake, but a fake none-the-less. Only a very experienced jeweler would be able to tell the difference between the two.

Once Sakura had infiltrated the museum, Hinata knew they would be alright. Her only worry was their rivals, Sharingan. Hinata pursed her cherry red lips as she thought of those… boys. She had no idea how, but one time, those stupid little boys had figured out what they were after and got there first.

Ever since that happened, they all agreed that they needed a spy in that ring. Everyone needs a spy. Ten Ten just happened to be theirs. She had worked her way up through Sharingan's ranks 'til she was right at the top.

Sharingan thought Ten Ten was working for them.

Ten Ten thought otherwise.

She, at the very least, was loyal to the bone.

But nothing would go wrong tonight. Ten Ten had confirmed that Sharingan thought that tonight was like any other night. And Hinata and all the other girls were immensely thankful that Ten Ten was so loyal.

Considering her position in Sharingan, she could be much richer. She loved her friends, and she wasn't going to betray them any time soon.

**In the swimming pool with Ten Ten and Temari**

The second youngest and the second eldest were reminiscing about that day five years ago, before they had found their… talents.

Ten Ten had been working in a factory, but mostly she had been jacking everything she could lay her hands on. She had only just turned 16, and she finally got tired of it. She called Sakura from a pay phone, and told her that she was done with work and that she needed a place to stay for a while. Sakura had simply mumbled a quiet affirmation, before hanging up.

Temari's story was very much the same. She had known Ino from years prior, and when her father's abuse had become too much, she had simply left. She knew her younger brothers would be fine, as her father had never laid a finger on either of them.

She still had regular interaction with them. Once she had explained to Gaara and Kankuro why she had left, they would not begrudge her a home where she felt safe. She found out two days later that Gaara arranged her evil father's death.

It hadn't fazed her in the slightest. Kankuro was of age, and so he was taking care of Gaara now. She smiled as she thought of what was left of her family. It didn't help that she missed her mother. That had always made her sad, so she tried not to think about it too much.

After she finally got out of her hometown, and to the little city where they were now, Temari had found Ino's number and called her. Ino's older cousin who had been living with Ino at the time came to get Temari.

She never did thank Anko for saving her ass that night. Anko drove her to Sakura's and that was when their little gang started. Anko had just turned legally old enough to have guardianship, so suddenly; she had five teenaged girls on her hands. The woman had never really minded, because they were all like sisters to her.

As Temari thought on it, Hinata's reason for leaving was the exact same as hers.

Hinata's father had abused both Hinata and her younger sister, Hanabi. Even though Hinata had gotten through it with a lot of help from a psychiatrist, she still worried about Hanabi, who had never quiet recovered from their father's abuse.

Hinata still went to visit the girl, who resided in an asylum for the clinically insane. Temari knew that Hinata would never forgive her father for what he had done to her and Hanabi, and she did not blame her. The man was a psychopath.

Karin's reason for being there was very different. She was an orphan that Anko had mistaken for Sakura one night when she was driving.

After Karin had explained to Anko why she was out at three in the morning, the older girl had simply decided that she wasn't going to leave her out in the snow. Anko knew what it felt like to have no parents, so she took her back to Ino's place and pretty much adopted her.

The more Temari thought on the subject, the more she wondered, so she voiced her speculations to Ten Ten.

"Hey Ten Ten, have you ever wondered if all men are like the assholes we used to know? Or is it just us?"

The younger girl pondered for a minute.

"Nah, I think some of them can be okay, although we do seem to have had a lot of bad luck in the "men's" department, haven't we?"

Ten Ten and Temari could only smirk at the stupidity of that thought.

That wasn't true at all. Every single person in this building at the moment had been forced to sleep with certain bastards for the sake of the job.

And nothing, NOTHING got in the way of a job.

It simply didn't happen. It was too important, too much fun to let anything happen to stop a job. Even falling in love.

Temari couldn't help it, thinking of love made her think of Shikamaru and thinking of Shikamaru made her heart hurt.

And she hated feeling that loss of control over her emotions. God, she hated loving him. But it did her no good now. She hadn't heard from him in months. She knew it was for the best, but it still hurt a little to think of him. She had been so sure that he loved her.

But then again, the group had moved only a little after that, and she had never taken it upon herself to find out what had happened to him.

A minute or so later the door into the pool room opened. Karin came in, wearing her favorite dark pink bikini.

"Hey chicklets. I'm going to go relax in the hot tub. Come with?"

The brunette and the blonde nodded with a smile twitching each of their lips. They slid into the hot tub next to the pink haired girl.

Both Ten Ten and Temari looked at Karin. She and Sakura could have been twins, except when Karin wore her glasses. As it was, most people thought they were sisters. They almost were, so they did not care to dispute it.

"It's so weird… I never really thought about it, but you don't really have a last name, do you Karin? You're just like me, in that respect."

Ten Ten hated not having a last name. It annoyed her to no end. Karin nodded at her comment.

"That's true. Sakura wanted me to adopt her last name, and so did Anko, but I prefer to just remain 'Karin'. I can't be anyone else. Annoys me to no end though, because getting through borders takes FOREVER…"

The girl sighed in annoyance. And yet she knew that it had never really stopped her before, she simply jumped it. And, for some strange reason, no one ever really cared. Every time this happened, she simply raised an eyebrow and she let it go.

A call through the pool area made all three women snap their head's to attention.

"What the HELL Ino?!"

Temari yelled "We don't have to be ANYWHERE for at least three- and-a-half hours!! WHY ARE YOU SCREECHING AT US?!"

Ino's voice was calm as she looked at them, deadpanned.

"You idiots, we only have three-and-a-half hours!! This is a dangerous night for us to be out, so we have to be ready!!"

Ten Ten, Temari and Karin all glared at her, slightly angry that she was ruining their perfectly wonderful relaxation time.

All three of them heaved themselves out of the hot tub, and they went to get dried off.

Ten Ten's long brown hair was loose from her normal double buns, but it wasn't wet, as she had put it up in a single messy bun to keep it dry. Karin's cerise hair had never held water well, so it was drying quickly. Temari, however, could only sigh at the state of the rat's nest she called hair.

There was a reason she kept it the way she did, and it was because it was too troublesome to do anything else with it. Dammit, she was even starting to _think_ like _him_. And she didn't even want to go there.

Temari sighed again as she told the others that she was off to take a shower. As she waltzed off to take said shower, both Karin and Ten Ten shook their heads.

They KNEW Temari wasn't over Shikamaru, they KNEW it. This was simply extra proof. What neither of them understood however, was why she didn't go find out where he was.

By Temari's reckoning, they didn't understand that it wasn't that she didn't want to find him; it was that she couldn't stand facing him. She was more afraid of what he would say to her then anything else at all, in the entire world.

And so she would do nothing about it until she could absolutely do nothing to avoid it. She hoped that that confrontation would never happen. And she knew she was deluding herself, because it would happen sooner or later whether she liked it or not.

Sakura had finished pounding that poor punching bag into nothing-ness, had taken a shower, and was now relaxing in her room. She quickly grabbed a certain Fallout Boy CD, and shoved it into her stereo. 'A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me' blasted through her room.

She opened the window to let some of the sound out and a breeze in. The wind whipped her pink, slightly-less-then-shoulder-length hair around her face. She could hardly believe that it had been five years. It had been so long, too long, since she had last had some true adrenaline running through her veins.

Maybe it was nothing more then a rush of hormones to the brain, but that didn't mean that she wasn't allowed to love that rush. It made her feel alive like nothing else in the entire world.

The door to her room slammed as Ino came huffing into the room.

"Hey Pig, what's up?" Sakura spoke before Ino could say anything at all, and she chuckled at her use of the other girl's old nickname.

"Not much, Forehead. Just a little excited for tonight. Have fun. But be careful, y'know? I don't want to have to come and save your ass."

Sakura could sense the underlying concern in her best friend's words. Ino had never been good at expressing care or worry for anyone, so this small warning warmed Sakura's heart.

She smirked at Ino.

"Don't worry. When have you ever had to come and -as you so delicately put it- 'save my ass?' I don't need saving, sweets. I can save myself."

Ino smile was small but satisfied.

"Good. I got important stuff to do tonight. After you get back, we're all going out to drink ourselves into a stupor. You gonna come with?"

Sakura nodded.

It was quiet for now, save for Fall Out Boy blasting in the background. Ino got up and walked out of the room, leaving Sakura to ponder her evening in peace. She shook out her hair as she lay down to take a nap before the evening's foolery commenced.

* * *

Read and Review people, this is a first for me, so please be gentle. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Weee

Weee!! I made it to Chapter 2!! looks hurt at the looks of incredulity that people are giving Hey, it's a big thing for me! Just so everyone knows this chapter is going to be with the other half of our odd little group of fourteen. And also, I might have some trouble depicting how guys act in the morning, because I'm female, and because I only have my younger brother and his best friend to go on. I should probably stop babbling now. Oh, and people, this IS my first ficlet, so please be gentle.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**Disclaimer:** I still wish I owned Naruto. Thankfully, Kishimoto-dono owns it. I don't. I own nothing. Anything. Zip. Nada. I don't even own an X-box, so leave me alone. The plot belongs to me, the story idea belongs to **–butIdoLOVEyoU- **Read her story 'Stockholm Syndrome' and you will understand the inspiration behind this. I also own a Shika plushie!! I also don't own Halo 2. I said I own nothing, didn't I?

**Dedication:** TwoTails. She saved my ass. No, seriously. She was my first reviewer, and now I understand why authors love reviews. They make you so happy it's sickening. Also, to **–butIdoLOVEyoU-** cuz she gave me permission to write this. This is also dedicated to my younger brother, because he was whining about not having a dedication.

* * *

Sasuke turned over in his sleep. God he hated mornings. Who can honestly say they like mornings? Mornings belong where they stay. Which is outside his window while he's asleep. The raven haired boy could only grunt as someone slammed a fist into his door. He twitched, but forced himself to get up. He opened the door, only to find Naruto grinning like an idiot at him across the threshold. Sasuke could only groan.

It wasn't that Shikamaru disliked mornings, ok, no, that's a lie, Shikamaru disliked mornings. It wasn't his fault he was lazy, ok, well, yes, it was, but that's a different story, but he really had better things to be doing then being awake. He could be sleeping. But there had been something akin to a knock on his door early that morning, and he had a gut feeling that Naruto had a _little_ too much caffeine last night. He mentally shrugged, being too lazy to actually, physically, do it and got up.

Shino was up early. He liked being up with the sun, it gave him some peace and quiet from the normally hectic life he led. Being part of an illegal criminal organization took work you know. He was making breakfast, it was his usual morning work. Suigetsu would clean up. It was only fair.

Naruto was up early. Far too early to be considered totally normal. The blonde haired, hyperactive man had far too much energy this early in the morning. He was nine-teen, for god's sake! Every other living thing his age considered it base treachery to be alive at this point of the morning (Shino was an exception. The boy always had an odd liking for bugs…). Naruto went bounding down the hall whacking each door as hard as he could to wake his housemates up. The last room along this hall was Sasuke's. He stood in the open doorway, grinning his whiskered cheeks off of his face.

Suigetsu hated Naruto. No, he did not hate mornings, although he found them to be exceedingly irritable when mixed with an idiot named Naruto Uzumaki. He dragged his sleepy ass down the stairs to where an ordinary breakfast of cereal and milk awaited his hungry stomach. He smirked at the thought of his morning. He felt like starting a food fight this morning, and then he would pin it on Naruto. Life was so easy when it wanted to be. It was also very much fun when you knew how to manipulate it as Suigetsu did.

At twenty-four, Kakashi Hatake was the elder of this… whatever you wanted to call it. And Kakashi liked his sleep. And with Naruto smacking the doors as hard as he could, that sleep was being jeopardized. Why had he taken that runt on? Oh yes, for his slight of hand tricks and his tendency to fast-talk his way out of trouble. It was also very hard, as Kakashi had found out to his very great horror, to stay mad at the younger man. He was going to murder that boy when he got downstairs. If that ever got around to happening.

Neji Hyuuga stoically got up out of the position he had been meditating in. Naruto had disturbed his rest, and so he had simply decided that it was better to let it go this morning. He would just kick Naruto's ass into the ground extra hard the next time they were very sparring together and that happened often enough, so he would live to get his revenge!! In his mind, Neji laughed evilly. He's just too much of a robot to laugh normally. Oh yes, the effect of almost zero sleep. Crazy maniacal laughter that no one else could hear.

A few minutes later, all the males, excluding Kakashi ended up downstairs in the kitchen. Suigetsu was eating corn flakes and milk, and seemed to be very docile. No one noticed the small, evil smirk that was lighting up his lips. And then the first splat of food began. A spoonful of cornflakes and milk hit Sasuke dead center on his forehead. The Uchiha looked up twitched, and then threw his toast at Naruto, who was, coincidentally, eating cornflakes. And thus it began.

The fierce battle continued for half an hour, food flying this way and that. Seriously, no one would expect this to be a group of the most wanted criminals in our time. It looked more like a group of frat boys without a supervisor. Actually, it pretty much was a group of frat boys without a supervisor. Until Kakashi came down. He took one look at the mess the boys had created, raised an eyebrow, and then said, quietly, so as to send his meaning home, "Clean this up. Now."

All the teenager boys in the room paled considerably that this. It wasn't like Kakashi to order them around, but when he spoke in that certain tone he reserved only for certain occasions, they all knew that there was no point in trying to fight him on it. They all grumbled and began to clean the kitchen and surrounding area up.

Sasuke twitched as something (most likely Shikamaru's porridge…) dripped off the ceiling and hit him square in the forehead. He growled. That was the second time today! Why did things like this always happen to him? He nearly puked as he realized how long this was going to take. There was food all over the windows, and he knew Kakashi would not let them out until they had finished cleaning. The man was crazy like that.

The young man nearly choked as he realized who had started the whole food fight. It couldn't have been Naruto, because he usually didn't put that much milk in his cereal, and when this had first started, the cereal that had hit him had been soggy. The only person in the entire world who liked soggy corn flakes was sitting upstairs in his room playing Halo 2 on his X-box.

"SUIGETSU!!" Sasuke roared.

"Get your lazy, food-fight causing ass down here and help us clean this up!! It was your fault in the first place!!"

Upstairs, Suigetsu snorted. 'Took them long enough to figure out that I left and that I started that entire food fight. Knowing Sasuke, he was the one that figured it out, and considering the way he's yelling… yup, it was him.' Slowly, the con artist trudged down the stairs to find his best friends cleaning up. Even he had to admit, Sasuke was scary when he wanted to be. And that death glare of his promised extreme pain should Suigetsu care to test his patience.

Suigetsu didn't grumble, just grabbed a mop out of Sasuke's hands and grinned at him, showing all of his pointed teeth. The spiky, raven haired teenaged boy grimaced at him and continued to glare until Suigetsu had thoroughly immersed himself in cleaning the kitchen. Sasuke mumbled under his breath about

"Ungrateful… useless bastard…," and Suigetsu laughed as he continued to clean.

After the kitchen was totally clean and spotless, Kakashi came down to inspect it. He really didn't care who started it, all he cared about was the fact that they had cleaned it up, and it was one less chore he had to throw upon them for no reason.

He nodded at them, his one showing eye crinkling around the edges. That crinkling around the eye was the only sign that he was smiling, because the rest of his face was covered by a mask that he wore all the time, for some odd reason. None of the boys had ever had the courage to ask the reason he wore it, but they all suspected that he was hiding his face from the fan-girls. **((A.N I'm sorry, I couldn't resist putting that in there XD))**

Naruto wasn't the youngest, but he was, at points, very dense.

He shrugged and said "Hey, dudes, I'm going to go check out that new museum. I'll find out if there's anything of actual worth there, ok? And maybe I'll see something else of value…"

He got a perverted grin on his face. Jeez, that boy spent too much time around Jiraiya and Kakashi. Sasuke groaned.

"Alright, alright I'll go with him to stop another sexual harassment law suit. We _really_ don't need another one of those…"

Naruto grinned at him sheepishly.

"Hey, it was an accident! My hand slipped!"

Sasuke groaned again. "Ya, ya, whatever help's you sleep at night."

The blonde-haired man shrugged and went to get changed for the day. Sasuke nodded at the rest of the group before following him. All the other boys decided to leave soon thereafter.

Shikamaru was exhausted. He was the researcher of the group, and he hadn't slept at all last night. He had been following the trail of a very old, very powerful scroll all night. If he was lucky, the people who owned it would be missing it, and soon.

However, if he was unlucky, their rival group, Bloody Blossoms, would get to it first. And that would be bad. Very bad, because that scroll contained secrets of certain ninjutsu arts that would allows those… females (he shuddered in distaste at that word) to get an even better upper hand over them. Sharingan had always been tops in the criminal world, until those little girls had started fighting against them. Even now, they were tied neck-and-neck, and he was worried that if they didn't hurry up those people would start ruining what little dignity they had left.

Dignity. That was something Shikamaru had very little left of. He cringed at the thought of what had happened a year ago. He had had a falling out with the love of his life,Temari no Sabaku.

She had walked out, and he hadn't been able to trace her. He had searched for months, but she never returned his calls, and apparently, she had moved. Another few months passed after that, however, he began to give up. He had stopped trying to find her. His chest still tightened at the thought of her layered blond hair falling all over his chest. He was going to ask her to marry him, he really was, and then they had that fight.

Ever since then, he hadn't been able to date, or even think about another woman. It was impossible, because there was simply no room in his life for someone else. That wasn't mentally healthy, per say, but it was the truth. Even now, the small, un-lazy part of him egged him on, trying to make him find her. He didn't like to think about what he had given up. A home, a family, and the woman he loved. How did it get to this?

He shook himself of the depressing thoughts. No point in thinking about it, nothing would bring her back now. He would just have to wait and see what happened. He just hoped that one day they would find each other again.

**At the museum with Sasuke and Naruto**

The two men were drool-worthy, that much was for sure. Naruto flashed a smile at a pair of passing women, both in about their mid-twenties, who both nearly fainted at the sight.

Sasuke, tall and brooding as ever was garnering murmurs of appreciation from ever female in the entire room. Thank God for good looks. They could pass off going to the museum as an ideal place to pick up chicks, while in reality, they were scouting out the defenses of the place.

Naruto's voice, normally so loud and brash, was quiet next to Sasuke's ear.

"Teme, there's a camera up in the most northern-facing corner, and another one in the southern corner. Jeez, the defenses of this place are minimal. There're no vents, so gassing is out of the question, and I seriously doubt that this place has the cash to afford lasers. They're expensive them, and this place doesn't even look like it has the cash to afford a janitor."

Sasuke barely inclined his head, but it was there all the same. To anyone else who hadn't known Sasuke Uchiha as long as Naruto Uzumaki had, they would have thought he had simply been moving his head. The human ice cube prevails once again.

Something caught Sasuke's attention. A pair of very beautiful katanas was on display in a clear case. He couldn't be sure what the case was made of until he tapped on the clear casing, for all appearances trying to show Naruto the swords, and he realized that it was made of a very cheap plexi-glas. This stuff broke easy.

Anyone who wanted to would have no trouble at all trying to break this stuff. He was disappointed in the level of security at this place. Him and Naruto had spent hours breaking in and out of places with higher level security when they were twelve. That, in his opinion, made this place not worth his time. Half the fun of stealing was the breaking and entering bit. He loved the adrenaline rush he got from it.

Naruto was surreptitiously checking out one of the air vents. He came back over to Sasuke's side, while the tall, dark-haired boy stood against a wall looking broody. As usual. Naruto almost laughed, had he not been smirking the way he was.

"That air vent by the east exit would be good way to get out, if it's needed. But I doubt that, knowing how quickly you like getting things done. How fast do you think you'll be in and out, a minute and a half?"

Sasuke just glared at him. "Last time, it was a minute and twenty-eight seconds. Don't insult my capabilities."

Naruto just laughed. "I was off by two seconds, gimme a break." Sasuke just shook his head at Naruto.

**At the training grounds with Neji and Shino**

Both males were sweating hard. They had been fighting for several hours now. Neji quickly reflected. If Ten Ten were here, he'd be able to train with her.

But recently, she had been spending more and more time working her way up in Bloody Blossoms. She had told them; roughly, where the Bloody Blossom's HQ was, but she couldn't tell them exactly where it was, as she said she hadn't been there, and that they probably wouldn't let her in there. She said that she thought that they suspected her. She said it was probably safer to keep up the pretense of being on their side for a little while longer. **((Don't worry, Ten Ten's not on the guys side, she's being a double double agent, if that makes any sense XD)) **

Shino was panting. "Neji… w-we can't… k-keep this up… much longer… We're b-both over-exhausted…"

Neji nodded at him, just as exhausted as Shino was.

"I'm going to go take a shower, you do what you want."

Shino nodded at Neji's idea.

"I'll go take one as well, and then I have to go check out where that weird signal has been coming from. It's been freaking me out for a while now."

The two boys parted to go do separate things, wondering how long it was going to be until their next heist. Sharingan hadn't done any jobs in a long time, and it was causing Shino grief. Neji just found it to be annoying.

Due to the fact that they hadn't really had any thieving going on lately, all of Sharingan (excluding Kakashi) had been training hard. They'd been using one of the more hardcore training rooms mostly, where you were in a virtual vault. You usually had three-and-a-half minutes to crack it, and if you weren't able to get in and out in that amount of time, you got gassed with laughing gas. It wasn't anything that would actually hurt you, but you would be left laughing for up to an hour or more. So far, the only person it had nearly happened to was Naruto, because he had lingered over what he wanted.

Neji considered this fact for a moment. The person who was best at it was Kakashi. He could get through that thing in a minute, tops. Neji did have to wonder how he did it, as the man was usually so slow at doing… well… _everything_.

But, often enough, it wasn't Kakashi who did the actually stealing. He was keeping up the public façade that they were a small group of very rich businessmen. For some odd reason, it seemed to work, and they were allowed to do almost anything they wanted. Neji inwardly smirked **((we can't have the robot being out of character or anything, now can we?))** at the irony of it all. They spend all their time finding ways to steal things, and they get away with it because no one spent anytime investigating the actually theft.

Neji got out of the shower a half-hour later feeling much better. After he got dried off, and put his hair in the usual holder, the white-eyed man went to find something to eat. Damn, did training make you hungry, or what? He looked at the clock. Only a few hours until it was time for some charity ball held by some random charity. It was one of the more important ones, so every male in Sharingan would be there. If he was lucky, he would get to see Ten Ten. If he was unlucky, well… he would see her another day.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: YAY

**AN:** YAY!! I finally, FINALLY found out to link my laptop and my computer, so the things that I type on my laptop can now be uploaded on my computer!! I have no idea (actually, no, that's a lie. I like the sound the keys make) why I do this to myself, it just causes pain and suffering, but… What ever! I know it's weird, okay?! I LIKE being weird. So leave me alone.

**Disclaimer:** Do I have to do this EVERY FLIPPIN' TIME?! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! Never have, never will. There. That should satisfy the lawyers. XD I really shouldn't be slamming lawyers in general, because I plan to be a lawyer someday…

**Dedication:** To Reidluver, my second reviewer!! Your review made me smile for days afterward. …It really is sickening, isn't it? To Eleni, who told me to get off my lazy ass and figure out a way to fix my problems'. To Emma, the only human in the entire world (that I know personally) who is almost as obsessed with fanfiction as I am.

* * *

It was getting late. Sakura looked out the window at the darkening sky. Karin had left a few hours earlier to get to the charity ball in time, so that, in the unlikely situation that Sakura got caught, she had an alibi. Thank God for odd hair colours. Sakura was sure Ino would turn up any minute now to screech at her for being so lazy and not getting up.

Ino did indeed turn up, a second or so off Sakura's estimation. She was holding out the suit, which Sakura immediately grabbed so that she could try it on. Ino left as Sakura quickly switched clothing, leaving her comfortable faded jeans and favorite black tank on the floor. As she pulled the body suit on, she realized that she would never want to take it off. Ino had said it was made of one of Hinata's special bullet-proof fabrics, and it was one of the most comfortable things she had ever tried on.

She laughed as Ino came back into the room to see how it fit, which was perfectly, of course. Ino knew all her friends measurements down to a T, so that she never had to do and extra re-make.

Sakura turned around for Ino's inspection, still laughing slightly crazily. She didn't know why, because there was nothing going on that was very funny. Sakura was nearly crying now, she was laughing so hard.

"Sorry Pig, I guess it's just my nerves. I can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen and soon…"

Ino shook her head, as Sakura gasped for breath.

"Don't worry about it Saku. Nothing will happen." But Ino couldn't shake the same feeling that her dearest friend was feeling at the moment.

**At the Charity Ball with Karin**

Karin was smiling, flirting, being social, and she was hating it. It was Ino who could pull this sort of thing off, and although Karin was proud to admit that she could hold her own when it came to the flirting world, she did have trouble with it. She had always hated the looks creepy old men gave her when she was dressed up like this.

But for Sakura's sake, she would. It was far too dangerous not to have an alibi. And she was the only one who looked anything remotely like Sakura, so she was always the one conned into doing this, as Sakura had no people skills. The last time that Karin had been the one on the job, Sakura had nearly slapped a man who had simply shaken her hand.

Karin didn't mind it one bit. It meant that she got to wear fancy clothes often. And it also meant she got to show off her amazing figure to the many men around the room. She knew she had a nice body, and she knew that it attracted attention.

She quickly scanned the room for some younger (the average age of the place was over forty-five, she would swear it…) prospects. One man caught her eye. His hair was light-gray-ish, almost light blue. As he turned to face her, she caught a good look at his body. He was smartly dressed, in a tailored gray suit, but it was his eyes that caught and held her own pair of dark orbs.

His eyes were a stormy blue-gray that she had never seen before. They were swirling with emotion as well. She could see anger, annoyance, resentfulness at the entire room, surprise at the fact that his gaze had been locked so securely with her own, but most of all, arrogance. 'So, he wears his heart on his sleeve, huh? Maybe I should break it, and teach him a lesson in humility. I have a feeling his ego need's to be brought down a notch or two…'

She checked her watch. Eight-thirty-eight. Sakura would just be getting ready now, getting ready to do the job. Once they were done at the museum, Temari would come in and announce to the entire world that Karin was needed at home. Karin, as Sakura, would apologize profusely to everyone around her, but she had forgotten that she had promised her room-mates a night on the town.

She would pull it off, and if she didn't she'd be stuck here for an entire night. Karin rolled her eyes at that thought.

God, people could talk forever if given the chance! Some random girl had sidled up along next to Karin and was chatting animatedly. The girl had, apparently, noticed the looks that the man in gray had been sending Karin all night, and she had assumed, incorrectly, that they knew each other.

"He's been looking at you all night Sakura, how do you NOT know him, huh?" The girl was obviously impatient as hell. "If you don't know him, then why the hell am I talking to you?"

The girl's annoying, bleach-blonde voice trailed into the distance as she left to pester some other poor victim.

Karin sighed in happiness at the silence that was filling the space next to her. She closed her eyes, hoping for this night to be over. Then she heard somebody else walk up to her, and she was going to politely tell them to go away, but, as she opened her eyes, she realized that it was the man in gray.

He was even cuter up close. Gray-ish hair that fell into his eyes, tailored, expensive suit, gorgeous, gorgeous, **gorgeous** stormy, steel blue-gray eyes. Karin nearly drooled just looking at him, but her pride wouldn't allow that.

"Is it over?" she joked, her voice light and airy. "Can I go now?"

He laughed at her statement before offering her his arm. She looked at him, puzzled by the action. He grinned.

"I was just wondering if, maybe, you wanted to dance?"

She nodded with a glowing smile, a slight blush touching her cheeks.

He led her out on to the dance floor. Several men threw angry, envious glances his way. He smirked at them unashamedly. He was dancing with the most beautiful girl in the room, he could attest to that fact and apparently there were some people who didn't like it.

Karin was faring no better. She couldn't help grinning at all the girls in the room who were glaring at her for simply holding onto this guy's arm. Good God he was hot.

He turned to smirk down at her, as he was a good half-head taller then she was, even with her heels on. She realized that his teeth were pointed. 'How odd…' was her only thought, before he smiled, and Karin could feel herself melting.

'Dammit!'

A voice in her head, the one that always spoke in a voice aloof from the rest of the world started yelling at her. 'You're here on a job, not on a boy-scouting mission! Get it together dumb-shit!!'

She shook the voice off, but took its advice. She didn't even know his name, and he had her half into his arms already.

A steady, beautiful, ballroom waltz filled the air. Karin looked over towards the orchestra. They were very good, so she decided to comment on it.

"They're very, good, aren't they?" She said softly, nodding towards them.

She was please that he was such a good dancer, as it was rare nowadays that anyone had formal dance lessons. As he slowly spun her out and back in again, he murmured in her ear. "Yes, they are very good. I'm Suigetsu, by the way. What's your name?"

She looked down, and away, so he took the hint that she didn't want to tell him.

"Don't worry about it. I'll call you Strawberry."

She looked up at him, surprised. No one had ever called her Strawberry before. Actually, she had never really had a nickname in general. Well, that was as long as you didn't count Ino calling her 'whore' every now and again, although it was always in jest, and the blonde never really meant it. She smiled at him.

"I like that. I think I'll keep it."

Suigetsu like this girl's smile. She was beautiful, she smelled nice, and she was obviously very used to being rich. The dress she was wearing didn't come cheap, he was sure. He could tell by the way the thick silk touched the ground, and by the way it was designed. She also had the simple air of being used to luxurious things about her. Sometimes you find that in people, and it makes them rather stuck up. Suigetsu could tell that this was not so with Strawberry.

He grinned at nothing in particular. The nickname Strawberry suited her. There was just something about her that reminded him of a strawberry. Her hair colour, and, he realized, her perfume. That's what had attracted him in the first place. He could smell the most amazing perfume, and he followed it straight to this girl.

The more he looked at her, the more he liked her. He had a feeling that by the end of the night, he was going to want to marry her. Wasn't that typical though?

When Suigetsu did something, he did it all the way, and he made it so that nothing would ever change his view on things. Just like cornflakes and milk. Just like Naruto being an idiot in the morning. Just like food-fights and Halo 2. Nothing changed the things Suigetsu liked and disliked, and this was no different.

He whisked her around the room, whishing to God that Kakashi could see him now. He had been telling all of them to hurry up and find a girl, or all the good ones would be gone. This girl, Strawberry, would prove him wrong, and it would set Sasuke Uchiha to steaming.

**At the Iwagakure Museum; Eight-Twenty-Three with Sakura**

Sakura's normally lose bubble gum pink hair was tied up in a tight bun, fake-dyed brown and pulled under a cap. The museum was going to be closing in seven minutes, so she had seven minutes to get ready. There was hardly anyone at the museum as it was, and she could hear the security guard coming around to check the perimeter before closing the place up for the night. He would turn on the seven cameras in the place, one of which centered on the katana display.

It was there for precautionary measures, but puh-lease, as if Bloody Blossoms was ever unprepared to take down something as simple as a security camera.

She could hear the crackle of static in her ear piece. Anko's voice would be coming out of it soon, guiding her around the dangers that she might face.

She had tried Ten Ten's hand guns out, and had found them to be exactly what she needed. This way, she wouldn't have to worry, not really at all. As long as they didn't see her hair, she would be just fine. Well, then again, even if they DID see her hair, it was another colour, so she would be alright. She was also wearing coloured contacts, just in case. It was always good to have a backup plan. This was hers.

Anko's voice crackled to life in Sakura's ear piece. It was reassuring to hear the older woman's voice so close to her ear. Sakura almost felt that Anko was right behind her, watching her back. She felt safe and relaxed for the first time that night.

She didn't need to worry, because Anko was there, watching the security cameras that Temari had hacked into for them. The computer genius would then delete the extra tape, and replace it with some that she had already rigged.

The mouthpiece in her ear crackled to life again.

"Sakura, watch out, you've only got 3 and a half minutes to get in and out of there."

Anko's voice was worried. Sakura knew Anko would worry until she got out of there with her treasures.

She went for the necklace first. After slicing through the cheap plexi-glass with a small glass cutter, she took out the fake necklace from underneath her bodysuit. As she switched them (all the while taking care to make sure there was the same amount of weight on the pillow at all times. It was always good to be careful, and it was good practice all the same) and carefully slipped the real one under her bodysuit, in the place where the fake had been.

She also replaced the small cut out plexi-glass, for good measure. She carefully considered her options next.

She decided going after the fan was best. Same routine, over again. Slice through the plexi-glass, switch the fake and the real, replace plexi-glass, and move on to the next.

As she looked down at the real fan, she took a second or so to admire it. It really was beautiful…

"Sakura! Just what the HELL do you think you're doing?!" Anko's voice was frantic in her ear. "Only two minutes left!!"

Sakura nodded to no one in particular. And then she went after the katana. She checked the measures of security. Next to nothing. With renewed vigor she followed the same, simple rules that Anko had taught them right from the minute she took them under her wing.

Always be careful. It's better to overestimate then underestimate. Never do any job alone, always have help. Sakura was following those rules now, as she pulled the real katana out, switched them with the fake katana, replaced the plexi-glass, and got the hell out of there.

Out the East Side vent, down the alley, drive the familiar black sedan all the way home. As soon as she got back to the manor, she ran in screaming.

"I GOT THEM! I GOT THEM!!"

The other females hooted and hugged her after she had put down the treasures, not wanting to ruin the ancient artifacts. A couple more screeches of glee and hugs, and then Sakura told them she needed to take a shower before she could leave.

"And I'm taking these damn contacts off. I can barely see with them on."

Temari nodded and said "Ino left you some clothes on your bed. You should wear them tonight, because the rest of us are wearing similar outfits, and it would only be appropriate."

Sakura grinned at her. "Temari, you gotta learn to speak like a normal human. All this proper-ness scares me. What happened to the Sabaku no Temari I knew a year ago?"

Temari smiled, pain showing in her eyes. "Shikamaru Nara happened."

Sakura's face fell as she remembered. Anko had ordered Temari to stop seeing him, once she had met him.

_**Flashback**_

"There's something strange about him Temari. I don't like it. I don't want you to get hurt. Please. For all our sakes, stop seeing him."

"But I-"

"No 'Buts'' Temari. What if he's part of Sharingan?"

Those words had sobered Temari up. What if he WAS part of Sharingan? What then? They never spoke about work, as the both said that it was exhausting to think about. What if Anko was right?!

_**End of Flashback**_

She hadn't seen him since. She had moved back into the manor, changed her cell number, everything. She wouldn't let him find her. Not today. Not now. It was simply too dangerous.

Anko's words still rang true in her ears.

Most nights she lay awake, hoping that she didn't break and go to find him. But everyday it was getting harder. She was having trouble sleeping, because every memory she had of him would replay in her head over and over again.

Temari turned and left Sakura in the kitchen, where they had been standing, rushing up to her room to try and stem the flow of tears that were threatening to course down her cheeks.

Oh. Right.

She was supposed to go get Karin, before the other woman screamed in agony at the deathly boredom of the place. She straightened up, eyes dry. If he hadn't found her in a year, then what was the point? He had probably already forgotten her. The thought pained her, but sobered her up all the same.

There was no point in males, except for breeding. All they did was cause heartache and confusion.

With that last thought, she whisked herself down the stairs, jumped in her silver Mercedes Benz, and left the place in a hurry. The less time this took, the better.

**At the Charity Ball with Karin and Suigetsu**

Good God, where was Temari?! It was almost 8:46, and Karin was getting nervous. Had something happened? She sure hoped not. But then again, this was very comfortable. Suigetsu had strong, muscle-y arms, and considering how tight they were wrapped around her waist, he wasn't going to be letting go any time soon. He was _so_ hot…

The doors to the place were suddenly thrown open. Temari walked in, and came over to the dancing pair. She poked Karin in the shoulder.

"Y'idiot! Don't you remember you promised me and Hinata that you were going to come drinking with us at eight thirty? Then I realized you might still be here."

The blond-haired girl turned towards Suigetsu, sent him a smile then murmured to him.

"If you would be so kind as to let my friend go… We have the important business of getting totally plastered. So if you could…?"

Suigetsu let go of the scarlet-haired female from the simple shock of being told to do something. The woman slipped from his arms with a smile. She softly placed a kiss on his cheek, before Temari grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room.

"Wait! Strawberry! No, come… back… I don't even know your name…"

Suigetsu nearly cried. How could she have disappeared so fast? He had a bad feeling that he was never going to see her again, and the short space of a few minutes he had fallen head-over-heels in love with her.

He sank to his knees, people swirling around him as the love of his life disappeared out a door to a world that he suddenly knew nothing of. Was she going to be alright? Was she going to think of him? Did she have someone else?

He stood up. No time to lose. He only had seconds to spare before she was gone. He had to get to her before she left him forever. But as he rushed out the door that she had just been so rudely pulled out of, all he saw was the flash of a silver car, and he couldn't see the slinky black dress she had been wearing anywhere at all.

Life was cruel.

This was no different. He stood there for a minute or two, before realizing that he should probably leave, because he could tell that any single girl back in that ballroom would be vying for his attention. And that thought scared him more then anything else.

**In the car with Karin and Temari**

As soon as Temari had shoved her into the silver Benz, and they had gotten on the road, Karin blasted the music and rolled down the windows. It was late now, but she was free.

Free, but without Suigetsu.

Who the hell was he, anyway? There were so many things about him that threw her off. His smirk, his hair, his clothes, and oh, not to mention those eyes… Most of all, she loved his eyes. Temari was eyeing her critically, before the older girl shook her head and turned down Hinder's Homecoming Queen.

Karin sighed.

She knew this would have to happen. Temari was giving her 'The Look'. It was the same look that Anko had given Temari after she had met Shikamaru.

It was the 'Don't-let-your-heart-mess-with-your-judgement' look.

Karin sighed again, this time louder and less caring.

"Don't worry Temari, I won't lose my head. He's just cute!"

Temari sighed, glared at the younger woman, and said, her voice softer then usual,

"I said the same thing about Shikamaru. Please be careful Karin. A broken heart is the worst thing you can ever have."

The red-head nodded, and then turned the music on again.

The silver Benz zipped towards the manor, and a night of drinking and idiocy. As soon as both Temari and Karin got out, they were enveloped by hugs.

Sakura's hair, albeit slightly damp, was back to its usual bubble-gum colour, her eyes their usual sea-foam green. She was wearing a green halter top, the shimmer a gold colour, the neckline going scandalously low, showing off her ample cleavage. She was wearing a pair of dark wash skinny jeans. Her shoes were a pair of gold flats, obviously worn and loved. She threw some clothes at Karin.

"Go get changed. You can't party in _that_".

Ten Ten smirked at her; the brunette's clothing being a black leather miniskirt, her shirt being a white tube top emblazoned with a black Playboy Bunny. She was also holding a purse made of black leather with a white Playboy Bunny on it. Her hair was let loose, for once, falling well over mid-back in soft waves. Her stilettos were simple, black, and added a good four inches to her 5'4 frame.

She quickly eyed all her friends, checking them over. Hinata was wearing a white miniskirt, and a red cap-sleeved, scoop-necked shirt that showed off her naval piercing. The young researcher also stuck her tongue out, showing off her diamond tongue stud. Her long bangs had been pulled together at the back, so that they wouldn't get in her way as she danced.

Temari dressed as she was before, in a form-hugging teal blue tube top mini dress, her layered blond hair falling all over the place in that way that's impossible to emulate but looks sexy all the same. Her shoes were a pair of black peep-toe heels.

Ino was looking, as usual, amazing. Her long blonde hair was curled into ringlets that were falling all the way down to the small of her back. She was the only one who had decided to go traditional, and go in a black mini dress with a plunging neckline, her shoes a pair of simple black stilettos that added height to her already model-worthy body.

Karin rushed back down the stairs, already dressed. She was wearing a white skirt that ended eight inches above her knees. Her scarlet hair matched her peep-toes heels and her shirt, both of which were a deep, blood red. She grabbed a white purse on the way down the stairs.

"Isn't Anko coming?"

Karin was a little confused. This was Anko's idea, and the purple-haired woman rarely missed out on a night of fun. It just didn't happen. Ino shrugged.

"I dunno, I think she was feeling a little ill… She didn't look so good when I checked up on her. She just wants us to have fun tonight."

Karin nodded, and with that, the six girls stepped out into the night.

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R&R People! I LOVE REVIEWS!! I love them so much it makes me sick. Please be gentle, this is my first ficcy, and it's my baby… This chapter was mostly directed at SuiKa, because I love SuiKa. It's that simple. Don't like it? Too bad.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: OMIGOD

**AN:** OMIGOD!! Chapter four! Yay! I'm in such a good mood. It might be because of the amazing three reviews I got  Ok, now I'm not so happy. I'm sorry, but I'm going to vent for a minute or two. One of my oldest friends (her name is Adrianna…) has just decided to try and murder me mentally. She sent an e-mail to another one of my oldest friends, and the evil bitch knew that my other friend (Mel) would show it to me. Mel did. That e-mail was the most hurtful thing anyone had ever said about me. Ever. I'm sorry, I had to get that out. Mel, I love you for telling me. She'll never be my friend again.

Also, on a happier note… HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHELSEY!! Oh, the reason that I'm doing the girl's side of events again is because… well… I just want to. I really need to get Eleni to take me drinking, and this is an extension on that. Oh, yes, all the drink names I used are actual drinks. I'm amazed that I know that many…

**Disclaimer:** Ya, I know I don't own it. If I owned it, would I seriously be here right now? I also have no rights to any songs I use in here. It's simply to get my stress out. I don't even own Riley. He's the bartender. He belongs to Eleni. Listen to him scream in terror. He works at the Spot in New York, but I changed that. I don't own Taketomi Village either, although it IS my favorite restaurant.

**Dedication:** To Torrey for being there, to Eleni and Chelsey for being the best friends that they can be. I love all three of you. What would I do without you? Also, to everyone who reviews. You guys make me smile. And I think I'm going to need a couple of smiles later…... Monday isn't going to be easy…

* * *

The six girls were dressing to kill. As they each got into Ino's particular car, with Anko being the backup if they had the need to call someone if they all got too drunk to drive, they carefully drove out, and sped onto the skyway.

Karin threw down the hood of Ino's specially enhanced mustang, enlarged on the interior enough to comfortably seat seven people. Ino was driving, and she threw back her head, her blond curls falling everywhere as she laughed.

She turned the music up, allowing all the girls to revel in it. She was a careful driver, but that didn't mean she wasn't allowed to have fun. She knew there would be noise complaints, but as no one would be able to get the license plate number, it really didn't matter.

She turned her head enough to see that Sakura was about to burst into song along with the music. The song that was currently blasting out of the stereo was 'Man Overboard' by Blink-182. This was probably Sakura's favorite song.

Sakura yelled her favorite line out over her friends voices

"Cuz in the end, it's fucking useless!"

The all laughed at that.

"Ya, it's 'fuckin' useless' for Sharingan! They can't match our awesome-ness!!"

Ten Ten couldn't help adding her two cents in. Sharingan had no clue. Just NO clue. But Neji… No, no depressing thoughts right now. This night was gonna be amazing. After all, all of their nights out were the best.

The next song that slammed out of the speakers was 'Thx Fr Th Mmrs' by FallOut Boy. **((Yes Torrey, I know how much you hate them))** The girls all started singing along, as they all knew the lyrics.

All the hooting could be heard for a few kilometers. The music was heard even farther off. Ten Ten checked her cell for the time.

"Ok girls, we have, well, we have as long as we want, but it's already ten-thirty… We should get back before three though; Anko will freak her head off if we're any later. I think the reason she's not here is because she's out on a date."

Temari turned around to look at her incredulously.

"You're kidding me, right? And she was warning _me_ about being careful around males. How do we know he's not the leader of Sharingan?"

Temari looked at them all seriously before bursting into laughter.

"Anko, dating. Now _there's_ a weird thought if I ever had one."

All the women started laughing again as more music came through the speakers.

The laughter and loud music could be heard for the rest of the ride. They got to the club at somewhere around eleven. They got through the line outside the doors quickly.

Ino always had a way with bouncers.

She may not have had the best people skills, but she could get by. She had flirting skills, and they were something that she was very proud of.

A smile, a flirtatious look through lowered lashes, and a couple of buck's cash later and they were in. The other girls smirked at Ino's infamous flirting prowess. Ino was beautiful, she knew it. So why not have fun with it?

The strobe lights inside the club called The Spot made the atmosphere seem to be pulsing with life.

Temari twitched as she heard Justin Timberlake's 'Sexy Back' **((God, I hate that song sooo much, but it's good to dance too… --;)) **Temari hated the man, but she had to admit his music was annoyingly catchy and good to dance too.

All the girls immediately formed a tight circle, allowing no one else in. This was a girl's night, which was being made obvious to the males in the room who were eyeing them hungrily.

After dancing for half an hour, Temari was nearly going to kill someone if she didn't get some alcohol soon.

"Can we please go get drunk now? If I don't get some alcohol in my system soon, I'm going to combust. Please."

The others girls agreed, and Temari led the way too the bar. They all clustered around one corner of it, each taking a seat.

The bartended came over to take their orders by how they were sitting. The seating arrangements were as follows: Temari, Ten Ten, Sakura, Karin, Hinata, Ino.

He served them in that order. Temari ordered first.

"Whatever has the most alcohol, and quick."

Ten Ten laughed at her friend's obviously disgruntled statement. "I'll have Alligator Sperm."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I'll have a Sake Bomb."

Karin swung her long scarlet hair out of her face. "Hmmm… Stoli on the rocks sounds good."

Hinata's inner demon seemed to be taking over. "I want a Bloody Mary, please." Hinata couldn't help her inner politeness.

Ino couldn't decide. "I think that I'll have a Chaotic Revolution please." She fluttered her lashes at the bartender, and he blushed.

The girls watched in silence as he made their drinks. He was rather good, spinning bottles up into the air and catching them, allowing the force of gravity to do the shaking and stirring for him. As he finished each drink, he slid them to each girl in succession.

Temari grabbed the drink before it was even out of his hand.

She gulped the contents of the glass, and hummed in pleasure. She could feel the alcohol circling through her veins, and it was very satisfactory. She quickly ordered another of whatever it was. It had enough alcohol in it to make her happy, and alcohol was what she required, especially after a day like that. Thinking about Shikamaru always led to her drinking her every worry out the window.

She turned half-closed eyes to Hinata who was happily sipping her Bloody Mary.

"Alright, I'll stay sober, it's my turn anyway."

The indigo haired girl smiled as she said it. She never held her liquor well anyway. She was a scientist, so she knew the dangers of losing control.

The other females of the group nodded their assent and their thanks.

"Oh, Ino, give me your keys before you end up so drunk you can't walk straight, okay?"

The blonde nodded and handed over the keys of her beloved mustang. Hinata grabbed them and shoved them into her purse, so that she wouldn't lose them.

She watched her friends drink themselves into a stupor as she sat next to the bar and sipped a single Bloody Mary all night.

**With Anko!**** ((FINALLY!!))**

The purple-haired woman was tugging at her dress, feeling a little bit exposed.

It was formal, the hem ending just a couple of inches above her knees. It was halter style, and it emphasized her curves. The colour matched her hair, although it was a little lighter.

She was expecting him to come to pick her up in a few minutes. She had told him six-thirty, so she knew he would be here at around seven. Kakashi may have liked being late, but he was never more then half an hour late for their dates. She hoped nothing had happened…

And then she smiled because a familiar silver Viper pulled up. She slipped in the passenger seat next to him, kissed his cheek and then murmured in his ear.

"I call shotgun."

He started driving, placing a hand on the inside of her thigh and slowly ran his hand up and down.

"I missed you too Anko. Now, where are we going for dinner?"

She softly bit down on his earlobe, then murmured back

"Just a little place called Taketomi Village. It's just around the corner. It's got great Japanese food. And then we're going dancing?"

He nodded.

"Yup. It's a formal place, so I'm glad you dressed up. You look… so beautiful. These are the times that I want to marry you. Not yet Anko, but one day…"

He had that faraway look he got in his eyes when he talked about their future. She would have to tell him about Bloody Blossoms sometime, it was only right. But not quite yet…

She had to be completely sure he had no ties to Sharingan at all, because if he did, that would put her girls in danger, and she would NOT have that. They were her sisters, her daughters. And she was going to let nothing hurt them, ever. Nothing would stand in her way. Not even love. No matter how real it was.

She looked at the man's masked face. She was one of the few people who had the privilege of seeing him with his mask off.

Anko got hearts in her eyes just thinking of how he looked with that mask off. Then the hearts got a naughty look to them, as she thought of how he looked without the rest of his clothes on.

Kakashi caught the naughty look in her eyes.

"What're you thinking about, ya little whore?"

"Oh, nothing… Just thinking of the rest of the night. And I'm not a whore ya idiot!"

She knew he was just playing. And really, she couldn't dispute it. She loved it when he just randomly forced her into an alley and fucked her brains out. That was always the best part of her day. She didn't go through all that paperwork for nothing!

Kakashi continued stroking the inside of her thigh for the rest of the ride, and although it was quiet, Anko found it to be a comfortable silence.

Comfortable. Yes, that was how she felt around him. She trusted him. She hoped to God that that trust was not in vain.

They reached Taketomi Village at seven fifteen, just in time for their reservations.

Anko laughed at the look of incredulity on Kakashi's face. He was actually on time for something? Hell must have frozen over in his opinion.

Anko ordered dango and sizzling teriyaki chicken. Kakashi laughed at her odd choice in food. She defender herself saying that it came with rice, salad, and miso soup. He accepted her choice in food, and ordered sizzling tempura, just to make her feel better. He also ordered a small side order of eel sushi.

It took them an hour and a half to eat. After that Kakashi took Anko's hand and they walked out the door after guessing the bill together. The owner of the place had murmured happily to no one in particular

"Ahh, you love…" and Anko had heard it.

She blushed to the roots of her very purple hair as she allowed Kakashi to pull her into the Viper. And then they just drove. And drove, and drove and drove. Anko was looking out the window, when she realized that they had left the city behind.

"Kakashi, where are we going? I thought you said to dress formally because we were going someplace special." Her gaze was questioning, but she trusted him.

"We _are_going someplace special. Just wait, we're almost there."

He pulled into a little bluff of trees, quickly left the car to plug something in, and then flicked a switch.

The entire place lit up with light. There was a little pond in the middle of the area, and it was left dark, the light from the lights bouncing off of it. The trees were hung with white hang-y type Christmas lights **((y'know those ones that hang down like icecles?))** and that was the only source of light. He had also hooked up a stereo, and soft, romantic music played from it.

He held out a hand, looked her over, his eyes shining in the light, and asked quietly

"Would you like to dance?"

She nearly cried she was so happy. She had once described her perfect date to him, and she was so happy that he remembered, and that he actually went to all the trouble to do this for her.

"Of course."

Her reply was quiet, but there was adoration shining in her voice. She took his hand, and they danced the night away in each other's arms.

**At The Spot with Hinata (because every one else is too drunk to mention…)**

Hinata laughed at her very drunk friends. It was one forty-eight in the morning, and she thought she should probably get them home.

She hauled Sakura up first, forced her to go stand by the door, and then did the same for all her friends.

After she got them out in the parking lot, she pushed them into the car, and buckled them in. She didn't want them dieing if they got in an accident. It was one forty-eight in the morning, but it was good to be careful anyways.

She slipped into the driver's seat, slipped her seatbelt around her waist, and then made sure she was alright to drive.

Nope, she could see just fine. She hadn't even finished the Bloody Mary. She had felt sick after the first few sips. It wasn't just that she didn't hold her alcohol well, it was just that she was right in the middle of her week, and it was making her very queasy when it came to liquor.

Hinata turned on some soft music to keep her friends in the half asleep, half dead mode they were in right now.

If there was one thing Hinata loved more then experimenting with random chemicals, it was driving. It gave her such a sense of freedom and choice that she had never had in her life ever before.

Driving gave her chance to get away from it all. Actually, in this case, she was just trying to get back to where she had come from.

She laughed quietly to herself as her friends snored their troubles away. They drove and, half an hour later (with Hinata speeding all the way) they came to the manor.

It was dark.

Hinata tilted her head at it.

"How odd… Anko would normally be waiting up, to make sure that we got home safe…" she whispered to herself.

She giggled, and then said, just as quietly as before

"Maybe she IS on a date!"

She dragged her friends into the house successfully, and put them each to bed. They better thank her for this in the morning!

**The Next Morning**

Ino moaned as she woke up. No, Sakura hadn't an alarm clock to throw this morning, but she had a killer hangover, and if she didn't do something about it soon, she was going to murder something.

She had to find Hinata, and Hinata's glorious hangover cure.

She stumbled out of her room, and made little noise as she pretty much fell down the hall. When she got to the stairs, so that she could go down the three flights of stairs into Hinata's lab, she decided better of it, and only went down one flight to the kitchen.

Her nose twitched as she entered. Hinata was already up and about and making THE GLORIOUS HANGOVER CURE!! Ino would grovel at Hinata's feet; promise her anything, even a new dress, if she would just give her some hangover medicine.

As she spoke, she realized how groggy her voice was.

"H-Hinata… c-could I have s-s-some of that? I'll make y-you an n-new dress…"

Hinata smiled. "That would be great Ino. Drink this, all of it; I don't care _how_ nasty it is. After you finish, I need you to bring some up to the others, ok?"

Ino nodded, as she gulped down the amazingly nasty stuff.

'Bleck,' was Ino's only thought as she finished. She had forgotten how disgusting it was. But her hangover was receding, and her memories of the previous night were beginning to come back. How many drinks did she have?

She was feeling much better as she put four glasses of the cure on a tray to carry up to her soul sisters.

She didn't make any noise as she entered each room, she just left the glass on the nightstand with a note under each saying "Hinata's Hangover Cure".

She knew that there would be groans when they realized that Hinata wouldn't left them out of the house unless they all had some. Ino couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces as they came downstairs with the nasty taste in their mouths.

Ino hummed to herself as she made her way to her room. She had a dress to make! Hinata had specified that it had to be red, and cut on the bias so that it hugged the body.

When Hinata had told her that, Ino had chortled and giggled out "That's my girl."

Ino sat down at her sewing machine. Better to be safe then sorry, she grabbed some of the most beautiful red bullet-proof material she could find. It was a certain satin-type material that Ino had found could be very useful. All she needed to do what dip the material in a vat of chemicals and voila! You had a very light, durable, bullet-proof material.

Now, to get to work…

* * *

R&R PEOPLE!! I LOVE REVIEWS soooooo much. 3 Gah!! I can't believe I wrote less then three!! It STILL looks like a triangle mooning the world. RAWR! Okay, I know this chapter was shorter then usual, but give me a break here…


	5. Chapter 5

AN: YAY

**AN:** YAY! Chapter five!! Anyway, for those of you who actually waste you time r5eading this, the whole mess with Adrianna just got bigger. She actually came to school today, and she started sucking up to everyone. All she could say to me was "Like, what the fuck, Sara? Why're you mad at me?" I just glared and ignored her. Teehee. Oh, ya, I forgot. My guy friends (excusing Richard and Torrey) have almost zero-to-none experience when it comes to the female gender. So I'm making the poor males in this story slightly like that!

Also, just so you know, I do know where this story ends but… uhh… I'm not quite sure how I'm going to get there… I'm just going along as I please. As I'm typing this, I'm constantly listening to Rise Against. They are the best.

**Disclaimer:** Ya, no, I don't own anything at all. I'm poor. I own an iPod, but I don't own the music, the band Rise Against, or Apple. If I did, I'd be rich. But I'm not. I'm poor, as I've already stated.

**Dedication:** To Torrey for listening to me bitch and for being ok with it. To Chelsey for understanding me when I'm at my worst. To TwoTails and Reidluver for reviewing and making me smile. To Mike because he knows how to make me smile when I can't stop crying. Also to Amanda because well, really, she just rocks.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"SREECHING/SCREAMING"

**((AN's. If I decide to put some in.))**

* * *

The first thing Suigetsu did after the Charity Ball finished was to go and get himself piss-ass drunk.

He didn't know how he ended up at home the next morning, but he did, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Sasuke had something to do with it. The dark-haired man kept grinning evilly at him. There was blackmail in that grin, and Suigetsu didn't like it one bit.

It was all that damn Charity Ball's fault!

The Charity Ball… Suigetsu didn't want to think about the Charity Ball because that entailed thinking about Strawberry.

And Strawberry's dress. And Strawberry's hair. And Strawberry's smile and her eyes and her scent and… he was sure he could go on for another half-hour about her.

This, now that he thought about it, was very bad thing. She had up and disappeared. The girl who had stolen his Strawberry away had been blonde and he was sure, _so sure,_ that he had seen her somewhere before.

The slanted eyes, the half-smile. Could it have been that chick that Shikamaru had been dating? What was her name, Temari? Hmm.

Maybe he should go talk to the genius about it. That weirdo had more experience with girls then the rest of them combined. Which was sad to say, but very true.

Suigetsu knew where to find the lazy genius.

He would be down in the little hidey-hole that Kakashi called the basement. He would be working on some random piece of crap that would help them on their next mission.

As Suigetsu exited his room and took the stairs outside the hallway all the way down to the basement, he heard an angry, frustrated groan coming from somewhere below him.

He raised an eyebrow. What the hell was Shikamaru up to that made him so angry.

Suigetsu got to the black door that led into Shikamaru's workroom. There was a sign on it that said, in Shikamaru's untidy scrawl, "Keep out. But, if you must come in, touch nothing. It would be troublesome to fix whatever it is that you've broken, so please don't ruin anything."

Shikamaru shook his head at the word "troublesome".

That boy used that word too much. It was his answer for everything. He knocked, and a low, antagonized voice issued from the room.

"Come in… Keep quiet though, I have a headache…"

Suigetsu entered, careful to keep the door from slamming, and causing Shikamaru undue pain.

If he wanted help from that lazy ass, he would have to be nice to him. Shikamaru turned from the giant… thing in front of him, raised an eyebrow as he saw Suigetsu, and turned back to whatever the thing that was pulsing with electrical energy was.

"I take it that you're here for advice. _Female_ advice, if I may be so bold."

Suigetsu raised an eyebrow in return.

"And how did you know that? Even if you _are_, in fact, correct."

Shikamaru let out a low chuckle.

"Very simply really. If you need advice on how to do a certain type of lift, you go to Neji, or Sasuke. If you need a drinking buddy, you go to Naruto. If you need advice from a father's perspective, you go to Kakashi. I'm the only one with advice that stems from the fairer sex, so it's only logical that you would come to me in case of advice on a girl."

Suigetsu twitched in annoyance. Here was a man who could do some real good in the world, but would rather resort to means of deception to make money.

'Well, at least he's no different then me…'

And then Suigetsu told Shikamaru everything. Every last detail about Strawberry. And then he told him about the other girl, the one who had come to pick Strawberry up. Suigetsu carefully described her.

"Layered blonde hair that fell to her shoulders, slanted teal eyes, very curvy, and really loud. She looked a bit like that girl you were dating a while back What was her name, Tamara?"

Shikamaru's eyes widened only slightly, but suddenly, his chest hurt.

It wasn't possible. Temari couldn't have been there. If she was, maybe he had a link to her, at last. Maybe now, he could find her. Maybe he could see the half-smile, and the slanted eyes, and maybe he could feel the layered blonde hair on his chest again while he lay awake under her naked form.

But first, he would have to find her, and find out why she had left so suddenly, and without a proper goodbye. He turned feverishly towards the massive thing he called a computer.

He muttered quietly to Suigetsu.

"You really like this chick don't you? You know what; we're going to find her. Because I have a feeling that if we find this Strawberry girl of yours, we're going to find my Temari. And right now, the thought of finding her is the only thing that's stopping me from falling over in exhaustion, or committing suicide. So we either do this together, or not at all."

Suigetsu nodded, and resigned himself to late nights searching through old magazine clippings about odd hair colours. He knew Shikamaru would search the web for any sign of scarlet-pink hair, and then that scarlet-pink hair would lead them both to the loves of their lives.

"Oh, hey I was wondering why you were groaning earlier. It wasn't because of Temari, was it?"

Suigetsu had randomly asked the question, if only to break the silence. The truth was that he really was a curious person who loved knowing things that had nothing to do with him. Shikamaru groaned again.

"Thanks for making me think about it Suigetsu."

The sarcasm on his voice was palpable.

"Remember that museum in Iwagakure? Remember how Sasuke and Naruto were checking out those katana and that scroll? They got lifted last night. The cops have no clue who it is."

His face was grim.

"Since it wasn't us, as we didn't do anything last night, there's only one other possibility. It had to be Bloody Blossoms. They left no evidence, no finger prints, and no nothing. Nothing except some very clever fakes. If some random kid hadn't touched the glass in a certain spot, we might have ended up stealing a fake. The owners of the stuff brought in a very famous jeweler. The katana's that Neji wanted for Ten Ten, a very expensive fan, and a necklace were all stolen. There's no security camera footage either. Those chicks are good."

Suigetsu's jaw dropped. That couldn't be possible, it just couldn't.

Oh. He started to laugh. Uchiha was going to be pissed.

He had spent two afternoons in that stuffy museum, hadn't picked up a single chick, (although he could have if he wanted too) and now he had just lost his reward for all that work. Suigetsu had a feeling that, if Sasuke had the chance, whoever had caused him all this grief would pay, and dearly.

There was a very important thing you should know about Suigetsu. His attention span was that of a gnat's. He was bored with his own laughing in a second, and so therefore lost all interest in the current conversation.

"Let's go back to Strawberry now please. That's the reason I came down here in the first place. I know this sound's weird and stupid, and probably childish, but I'm going to marry her one day."

Shikamaru nodded absently, obviously in his own world. The man was typing furiously on his computer. He shook his head, muttering under his breath.

"What did this 'Strawberry' of yours look like? Hair colour, eye colour, body shape, things like that. I'm hacking into the Charity Ball's records right now. I'm half way there… We'll find out her name and her address, at the very least, if we're lucky, we'll find out if Temari's with her."

Suigetsu shrugged at the other man's obvious oblivious-ness to anything un-Temari-related.

"Her hair was crimson red –really long, too- her eyes were the deepest black I've ever seen, slender but still somehow curvy… She was a half-head shorter then me, and she was wearing contacts. Her hands were long, slender, soft -unused to hard work-, well taken care of. Both of her ears were pierced several times, but she was only wearing silver hoops in one set of piercings. She was obviously pampered, rich. She was gorgeous…"

Shikamaru shook his head at the love-struck expression on Suigetsu's face.

'That can't be healthy… I feel like I'm looking at myself a year ago.'

The thing in front of him beeped twice. He quickly checked the results.

"We have two matches. Sakura Haruno, and Karin Fukumoto. It doesn't list their addresses, but they're the only two red-haired girls who could have been at the Charity thing. Weird… No pictures of them… They're not listed in the phone book either. Both of these chicks like their privacy. I doubt that they're the same person, but it's a very real possibility. I wonder if we could get Neji or Naruto to bully whoever actually knows this stuff into giving us the important information. That could be dangerous, but beneficial…"

"Shikamaru. Calm down. You're getting lost in your head. That's not good. I know her name now. I think it was probably Karin. She didn't look like a Sakura. She wasn't that naïve. She had this cold cunning thing going on, and it just seemed like she knew what she was doing, and that she was only enduring the Charity Ball because she had no other choice."

Shikamaru laughed.

"I think you're reading too far into it. I hope your right. Haruno… I'm sure I've heard that name somewhere before. It's important, because as soon as I realize what it is, it'll be painfully obvious, and I'll feel like an idiot for not realizing it sooner."

He nodded at his own statement, and then went back to takking away at his keyboard.

Suigetsu took his dismissal graciously and quietly left the hovel that they called a basement.

He had to find Uchiha and laugh at him.

That was always worth his time. Pissing Sasuke Uchiha off was not easy, but once done, he wouldn't calm down for a good long time. And then Uchiha would take it out on Kakashi, most likely, as he was the only one that would deal with Sasuke beating on him.

Any other guy in the place would just sock him in the mouth to shut him up.

Suigetsu chuckled again. He could hardly wait to see the Uchiha lose his annoyingly perfectly-controlled temper.

As he ascended the stairs to the kitchen, he pulled his iPod out of his pocket and put in one earphone. He quickly spun the clicker- thing to Rise Against. He sighed in happiness as the hard-rock group slammed into his ears.

Shino was always saying that he was going to blow his ear drums out. Meh. Whatever.

He turned left, and opened the door to the kitchen.

He came face to face with Sasuke Uchiha. He started to laugh.

He couldn't help it, it was just too funny. Sasuke got an annoyed look on his face, and it just made Suigetsu laugh that much harder. Suigetsu wasn't sure if he should taunt him with the age-old 'I know something you don't know!' If there was one thing Suigetsu knew about people, it was that people hated not being told something about themselves.

They might hate the fact that you know something they don't more then what you're going to tell them, even if it causes pain. Suigetsu decided to go for it.

"I know something you don't know!!" His voiced was light and sing-song-y, and he knew it would annoy the dark-haired man all that much more.

Sasuke twitched. He knew it! He knew Suigetsu was up to something when he had come in, taken one look him and started to laugh his brain out. Suigetsu did not often laugh at something, or, in this case, someone, for no reason.

Unless he had a reason to show an emotion, he was more emotionless then Sasuke when he felt like it. That was saying something. He was just weird like that. So what did he know that Sasuke didn't?

"Okay dumb-shit, you had your fun. Tell me what you know. Now." Suigetsu laughed again and skipped out of the room.

Yes, he skipped.

That just peeved Sasuke off all the more. He heard shouting from the hallway. He had a sinking feeling that Suigetsu was off to tell Naruto just what was making him so sickeningly happy. And he had another feeling that told him he wasn't going to like it one bit.

Suddenly, his cell rang out of the blue. He picked it up, knowing that only the people of this house knew the number, and that it would probably be Kakashi, because he was still out from last night. He flicked it open without even checking the number.

"Hello Kakashi."

His voice was monotone and bored, as per usual.

"Yo. How did you know it was me?" "

"Never mind that, it's you."

"I won't be back until tomorrow. I have some more… business… to take care of. Make sure they don't tear the house down while I'm gone."

Sasuke sighed into the mouthpiece.

"By 'they' I'm presuming you mean Suigetsu and Naruto, right? You know I can't control them. Anyway, have fun with whatever it is your doing. Don't buy porn please. We have children in the vicinity at all times."

Sasuke could hear Kakashi chuckle through the phone.

"I'm not buying porn, and yes, I mean Naruto and Suigetsu by 'they'. Now, I have to go."

There was a click, and Kakashi's voice was gone from Sasuke's head.

Sasuke groaned as he heard a crash. That would be Neji pounding either Naruto or Suigetsu into the floor for disturbing him while he meditated. That boy was having a harder and harder time staying calm without Ten Ten around.

She was Neji's heroine. **((Ha-ha, I made a pun… god that was bad…)) **Something pegged Sasuke in the back of the head, and he twitched again. He turned around to find a grinning Naruto and a smirking Suigetsu staring at him.

"I know this may cause you grief Sasuke, but you know that place we were scouting in Iwa? Ya, well… It kinda got… robbed. I mean, before we could do it. Whoever it was got exactly the same stuff we were checking out. Shikamaru thinks it was probably Bloody Blossoms, but he's not sure…"

Sasuke groaned, and felt like crying for one of the first times in his life.

**

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((Well. I know it's shorter then my usual standard (which is eight pages… this was only five) but that was all I could think up. If you lovely reviewers would be so kind… I love reviews! Hit the little purple button, you'll get to Candy Mountain!"


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Well

**AN:** Well. I officially hate life. Is life always this mean? Or is it just me? Ugh. Anyways… I know this concerns no one who is reading this, but…. I'M TURNING SIXTEEN!! Ya… anyways… I know it's not until January. But I CAN'T HELP IT!! XD I've been obsessing about it for a couple of days now.

About the whole Adrianna thing: I haven't spoken to her in a week and a half. That's a record. +44 make's me so happy 3 I'm in a Sasu/Saku mood right now… :):):):):):) So that's the focus of this chapter! Now, just to get them to meet… I'm not sure what pairing I ought to put this under… It's all pairings!! Well, at least the ones that I like.

Also, the only reason I'm putting hangovers in here at all is to irk Torrey. He came over to my house yesterday, and him and Chelsey and Kierra got totally smashed… -.-; WHY AM I ALWAYS THE ONE THAT STAYS SOBER TO TAKE CARE OF THEM?!

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own anything of importance, thank you very much.

**Dedication: **To Chelsey and Kierra and Torrey for being my drinking buddies (even though you guys drive me insane, and I'm always taking care of you when you're drunk.). To Richard for being the freak he is. To Amanda for putting up with my horrible understanding of Pure Math… right before a Unit test (she stayed up 'til four in the morning teaching me how to divide radicals. It was amazing…). To Dylan for making me laugh. To Eesvari for remembering me. I love you all. Also, to TwoTails!! You made me smile! Thanks for it all everyone!!

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**(( AN's… If I decide to put any in.))**

* * *

Sakura hated hangovers. She really did. Every rustle of clothing, every soft footstep, every soft sigh that came out of her lips was magnified by about a thousand times, and it was doing nothing to ease the pounding that didn't seem to be leaving her head. Even after drinking three cups of Hinata's hangover remedy, she was still woozy.

That was saying something. Usually two cups got rid of the headache that was plaguing her mind. She must have had a lot to drink last night, more then her usual eight-and-a-half shots.

She pulled herself out of bed, and forced her feet to take a few steps towards her en-suit bathroom.

Screw breakfast, she needed a shower.

She grabbed her shampoo, conditioner, soaps and her newest razor. After turning on the hot water to max, she slipped in.

Right then and there, Sakura decided that jet-massage shower heads were one of life's most amazing luxuries. The water was pounding away every worry she'd had in the past week-and-a-half. That included the hangover (which, by now, was more then half gone. The priceless awesomeness that is hot water…).

She got out of the shower half an hour later, feeling much better.

The mirror was foggy, so she could only see a vague outline of her towel-covered body and the pink of her hair.

She quickly blow dried her hair, leaving it fluffy and ready for almost anything. A straightening job and a half (and a small amount of makeup) later, and she was good to go.

She slipped back into her bedroom, grabbed her clothes (a pair of fitted black jeans and a tight red halter top, not to mention her favorite bra) pulled them on, and went downstairs.

Hinata was making pancakes and bacon.

The indigo-haired girl handed Sakura a plate of both, and left the older girl to her own devices.

Karin was already sitting at the table, sipping a steaming cup of something (probably hot chocolate).

Sakura slowly started eating, smiling her appreciation of the amazing food that Hinata had placed in front of her. Temari came bounding down the stairs, obviously searching for food. She waved to Sakura, and then turned her attention to Hinata.

"Hey Sunshine! Any more pancakes? Or are they all gone?" Hinata laughed at Temari's new nickname for her.

"Hold on Sweets, I'm just finishing another batch."

Hinata, with immeasurable grace, flipped a pair of pancakes out of the red-hot pan and onto Temari's plate. The sandy-haired woman grinned and gave the indigo-haired girl a high five.

"Thanks darlin'. Love ya!"

She sat down, and dug into her pancakes without another word. Another minute or so, and Ten Ten came grumbling down the stairs.

There were many reasons she was grumbling. One was that she had been so rudely forced out of bed by a screaming Ino. However as soon as she got into the kitchen, she smelled the pancakes; she saw some of their "family" and she realized that she was hungry. Hinata handed her a plate of pancakes and bacon.

"Thanks hun."

With those simple words, she shoved her pancakes into her mouth, gulped some juice, gave them all a salute, and then dashed out the door. Typical Panda-chan. The girl's didn't blame her though, she had to be at Sharingan's hideout in less then two minutes.

Sakura watched all these proceedings with growing amusement, and with slight worry at Ten Ten's situation.

She knew that her friend would never betray them, (it went against Ten Ten's every grain) but she also knew that love could do crazy things to you. Ten Ten had told Sakura, in total confidence, that she thought she might be falling in love with one of the males in Sharingan, the one named Neji.

Sakura trusted Panda with all her heart, but she didn't want them all at risk because the guy got something out of her.

Sakura went deeper into thought. Panda had told them that they only way she got in was by telling Sharingan that she was able to spy on Bloody Blossoms. She had told them nothing of importance as of yet, but the other group seemed to accept her.

This really was very good for Bloody Blossoms, because that way, they got plenty of information on the other group. But still, it worried Sakura. She didn't want her family getting hurt. And Panda-chan was her sister, and sisters made mistakes, and they would forgive her. Every girl in this family had made mistakes, and they had always been forgiven.

Right then and there, Sakura decided to follow Ten Ten. Sakura needed to know that Ten Ten wasn't getting in over her head. She jumped up, muttered a quick

"Thanks hun…" and dashed out the door after Ten Ten.

Ten Ten's car was already gone.

Damnit.

Sakura jumped on her favorite motorcycle. Black with sakura petals engraved all over. She smirked at it, grabbed her cell and speed-dialed Panda's number. The girl picked up.

"Panda, it's Saku. Stop at the park, I know you'll be getting there soon. We need to talk right now."

"K' girly, got'cha. You taking Kaze?"

"Yup. Cya."

Sakura snapped her cell shut, jumped on her bike, and was gone with the wind. **((ANOTHER bad pun!!))**

Sakura knew she was moving faster then she ever had in her entire life. She was way over the speed limit, not that anyone cared or anything, but it was dangerous and Sakura didn't feel like dying.

She slowed down to only fifty clicks' over the hundred-ten speed limit. It took her three-minutes-forty-two seconds to get to the park.

Ten Ten was already parked there. Sakura jumped off her bike, kicked down the kickstand, and rushed over to one of her oldest friends.

"Saku? What's wrong? You sounded… worried… on the phone."

"I guess I'm just worried about you Panda. I want to come to Sharingan with you. You can say that I'm another girl from Bloody Blossoms, that doesn't want anything to do with them. Please Ten; I need to do this, for my own peace of mind."

Ten Ten nodded, wondering why Sakura was so worried all of a sudden. It had been Sakura's idea to have a spy in Sharingan anyway. Ten Ten had just fit the job.

"Follow me. I'll get ya there. It's not far from here anyway."

Sakura grinned, and jumped on Kaze as Ten Ten got in her black Audi TT. Ten Ten zoomed off, Sakura tailing her. They got to Sharingan's hideout with few problems.

They nearly got caught by a couple cops, but they just sped up.

They were insane, it was true. Life liked messing with their family, so they messed with life.

Ten Ten finally stopped (and so, therefore, did Sakura) in front of a huge mansion. Sakura's eyes went wide and she muttered in passing to Ten Ten. "Holy shit, this place is huge…"

"I know… It's as big as our place. And that's saying something."

Sakura nodded, her eyes still huge with awe. Ten Ten rang the bell, twice, paused, then thrice. Sakura heard the lock click, and Ten Ten pushed the door open. The bun-haired brunette ushered her friend in, and allowed her friend to look about the place, awe expended.

Sakura was obviously not impressed by the interior. It was simple and, to Sakura's obvious distaste, did not feel like a home. It felt like an unlived in house.

The door off to Sakura's right slammed open. A boy with raven hair -so black it looked blue- and onyx eyes stomped into the room, anger seeping from him like thick, black, miasma.

He looked up, and his eyes caught, and held, Sakura's. She'd never seen anyone whose eyes were as empty as his. Or were his eyes so full you couldn't see the end?

Either way, she couldn't take her eyes off him. There was something about him that made her snap to attention.

His voice came out of nowhere. "Ten Ten. You're back. Who the hell is this, and what the _fuck_ is she doing here?!"

Sakura nearly fainted. His voice was a deep baritone that shouldn't exist in real life, and even though he was totally rude, (in her opinion, _no one_ had the right to be that rude) he was freakin' sexy.

Ten Ten's voice was ice. "Leave her alone Sasuke. Her name is Sakura, and she has nothing to do with you. She's here to help me. She's another who's decided that she would rather be a spy for Sharingan then lose her life to Bloody Blossoms' madness. So go the fuck away. Where's Neji?"

Sakura simply stood there, her body language trained not to show shock. She acted as if this story was not new to her, but in her head, her mind was reeling. Since when could Ten Ten lie so well?

She had come up with that story on the spot. It was hard to come up with stories on the spot like that. Sakura knew it, knew it well. She had been forced to think fast before, and so far, had come up with a couple good stories, which she liked to stick to and expand on.

"How should I know? He's either out in the forest, or he's in his room, meditating. I want to talk to your new… helper. Don't try to stop me."

Ten Ten sneered at him imperiously.

"Fine. But Sasuke, if you break her, I will NOT be happy with you. And I won't tolerate you harming her mental state, either. If you do, I suggest you run. Very fast, and very far."

The dark haired boy glared back at her, before nodding in resignation. He didn't feel like incurring Ten Ten's wrath this early in the morning. It was unhealthy.

Ten Ten walked up the stairs, leaving Sasuke and Sakura alone.

"So… you left Bloody Blossoms. What did you do for them? How did you meet Ten Ten?"

Sakura fell into her Liar's Palace. She was suddenly Sakura, the maid who worked for the Bloody Blossoms.

She came every Tuesday afternoon, and had met Ten Ten one day while cleaning the weapon mistress's room. No living person had been able to break Sakura's Liar's Palace. Not even Anko, and Anko specialized in spotting a liar. Sakura knew she was good, and she wasn't going to waste her lying talent.

"I was the maid there. I worked on Tuesday afternoons' y'know. I met Ten Ten while I was there one day, and she suggested that I come work here. She said the pay was better."

"Do you know anything of the inner workings of the place? Do you know who heads the entire organization?

"Ugh, of course not! They always blinded-folded me before I was allowed to go there. Usually a random driver in a non-descript car came, blind-folded me, and then took me to the place. I don't even know the address. I only wish I could tell you more…"

He seemed satisfied with her answers. Sakura mentally sighed. One less person to convince of her identity. She turned to find somewhere to sit, and as she left, a hand grabbed her wrist. She screamed girlishly and didn't fight back. On normal circumstances, she would have, but right now, she was supposed to be a maid, not trained in the art of combat.

He continued to hold her wrist there. He wasn't letting go, and it was starting to freak her out. Actually, no, it wasn't freaking her out, but she was starting to blush from the intense way he was staring at her.

"Ummmmm… Could you let me go now? I'm not your property you know."

He released her wrist, which had started to sting painfully, although he did not stop staring at her. Sakura rubbed her wrist, trying to get rid of the finger marks surround it.

Damnit, that was going to bruise. And then she would have everyone else wondering why the hell she had finger-shaped bruises around her wrist. She would have no answer for any one of them.

Ten Ten came back down the stairs, gave Sakura the finger-crook to come up the stairs. Sakura nodded, still feeling the disconcerting stare that Sasuke was constantly sending her way.

Sakura followed Ten Ten up the steps. Now that they were away from Sasuke's burning gaze, Ten Ten chuckled. She pulled Sakura into a hallway, and then all the way down the hallway. Ten Ten pushed her into the room, and then closed the door behind her. Sakura quickly glanced around the room, checking, as was her habit, for anyone else there.

The room was mostly bare. A bed, a standing mirror, and a few pictures graced the place. Sakura had never seen any of these pictures before. One was of Ten Ten standing next to a boy with white eyes and brown hair who looked remarkably like Hinata. Ten Ten was smiling, with her arms wrapped around the guy, and he was looking away, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"So, you met the infamous Uchiha Sasuke. What do you think?"

"Panda, who's the guy in that pic? I've never met him, and it's not like you to keep secrets. I think Sasuke is an ignorant jerk who deserves to die. Look at my wrist, I'm going to bruise! And that just means that I have one more scar to be identified by."

Ten Ten turned redder then Sakura had ever seen her. "That's Neji. I guess I have some explaining to do, don't I?"

Sakura raised a single pink eyebrow. Her only words were "Oh yes Ten Ten, you have explaining to do. I'll believe whatever it is you want me to believe though, because you're my sister."

"When I got here, Neji was the first one I met. At first, it was like we were complete opposites. (By the way, I was thinking that he might be related to Hinata, although I'm not sure. He does look like her, doesn't he?) Anyway.

Everything I did made him mad. Naruto even ended up telling him to get off of my back, and Naruto doesn't do that often. And then he caught me training in the garden beside the pond. Okay, in the forest by the lake. This place is friggin' huge.

I guess I just got caught up. I really hate thinking that the only reason that I'm here is to spy on them. I feel like I'm a part of their family, not just ours anymore.

And though I would never betray you guys, never, ever, ever, I can't help but think that I can't betray these guys either… I'm sorry Saku, this is probably making you hate me more then anything else in the entire world. I know I've put our family in danger, but… I can't… help it… Oh, and also, Shikamaru is here, just in case Temari wants to know."

Sakura sat down, caught completely off guard. So this was what Panda-chan had been hiding, had been so scared to tell everyone. So it was this big. Maybe, just for a while, Sakura would let it be. She would let it see how it would play out, and if it got to dangerous, she would intervene.

"Well. There's nothing I can really do about it, is there? I'm not going to tell Anko, because she would flip her lid, and we don't want that happening. Y'know what? I'm going to stay here, and help you out. Since they obviously think that you're spying for them on us, I guess I'll just have to help. We'll talk Anko into it. Give her some chocolate roses and she'll be in a good enough mood to let us be. **((This is a tribute to TwoTails-chan. I hope you enjoy it :D ))**

Ten Ten nodded determinately. She wanted this thing to work out, and if it meant going to Anko, then it meant going to Anko. She also wanted to question Anko on this "boyfriend" of hers. Anko did not have "boyfriends". She'd had flings, but she'd never even though of settling down. It went against everything that was Anko.

Sakura sighed again. "So when do I meet the rest of the guys here?"

Ten Ten tilted her head to the side.

"Probably tonight at dinner. Do you want to cook?"

Sakura twitched. It wasn't that she couldn't cook. No, it was that she couldn't cook.

"Ten Ten, you know I can't cook worth shit."

Ten Ten grimaced.

"You can cook better then I can, and I'm the best cook in this place. That's saying something, considering most of these guys have been providing for themselves for years."

There was no way that was true. Ten Ten, guessing the doubt on her face, nodded seriously and grimly at the same time.

"Well then. Apparently, I'm cooking dinner. It'll be simple Chicken Teriyaki, rice balls, and miso soup. That sounds good?"

"Once you have tasted Naruto's cooking, _anything_ is better then the slop that these guys come up with. That sounds great Saku, thanks."

Ten Ten shook her head at the horrid memory of the last time that Naruto had cooked. She had heard the explosion, and unless you were there, you would never have believed it.

Sakura slipped out of the room, as Ten Ten got ready for the evening. The bun-haired girl had shoved a dress at Sakura before she had left, telling her where her room was (the one to the left of Ten Ten's) and that since this was the first night Sakura was here, the boys would expect her to be wearing something formal.

Since Sakura and Ten Ten were the same size, Ten Ten gave Sakura the only dress she had that Sakura even slightly liked.

It was black with a thick, dark green sash. The edges were in dark green as well, and so was the hemming. Sakura actually really liked the dress and, once she tried it on, found that it fit like a glove. She checked the time, realizing she had half an hour to get dinner ready for nine people. Ten Ten had told her to expect that many, including the both of them.

'Odd… Seven of them to seven of us. It almost sounds like some cliché love story. Ha, as if.' **((Oh, the things poor Saku-chan doesn't realize crazy maniacal laughter comes from out of nowhere God, I love being weird. Ad's some spice to life.)) **

Sakura hummed as she set about getting the place ready for nine people. She set the enormous table, made sure that the place looked nice, and then went back into the kitchen to stop the chicken from burning. She only had one chance to impress them, and if she screwed it up, it wouldn't be worth the effort.

From inside the kitchen, she heard the door open and close, and someone came in. She half-turned to see Sasuke standing there, still staring at her. The continuous staring was really starting to piss her off. A pissed off Sakura is not a good thing. She turned towards him.

"Will you stop staring at me? It's freaking the living crap outta me!"

Her voice was loud and clear, and she very obviously meant it. He looked taken aback, and he reached out to her again.

However, instead of touching her as she expected him too, he reached past her, and grabbed a freshly-made rice ball.

He really shouldn't have done that.

As he bit into it, innocently, so innocently, she snapped. He was ungrateful, rude, and he had just snatched her rice ball!!

She smacked, him, grabbed the rice ball out of his hand, and pointed, wooden spoon and all, out of the door towards the dining room. Away he went, humming merrily.

As he left, Sakura only had one thought in her head.

'This was NOT going to be a good week…' Sakura groaned.

**

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**

((Teehee. What fun. Yes, I was in a Sasu/Saku mood, although this wasn't very fluffy. I had to introduce them, and I know they're totally OC, but hey, what the hell, it's a fan fiction. For right now, I can do whatever I want to them. Next is prolly Neji/Ten!! I LOVE Neji/Ten . Oh. Press the little purple button, it'll make me so happy I'll update faster!))


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Wow

**AN:** Wow!! I made it to Chp. 7. -.-; No end in sight yet. I haven't even gotten them all to meet yet! So I'm kinda fiddling around with them. Now that I've got the Sasu/Saku done, and the first bit of the SuiKa, and I've kinda done of bit of the insane-ness that is Shika/Tema… Oh, I've also done the Kaka/Anko that I promised TwoTails. I'll do more, I promise!! I have to work on Neji/Ten now, because Neji is such a robot that I can't help but play with him. And there's more Sasu/Saku in there. Damnit, I also can't help but put it in! I LOVE Sasu/Saku!! -.-;

I'm amazed that I got a chapter done in something like… two days. That makes me so proud of myself. And it makes me want to type some more :D

**Disclaimer:** Ya, ya, I know I don't own it. Ruin my fun why dont'cha…

**Dedication:** To my mum for helping my redecorate my room. To Chelsey for making me throw out all the crap I didn't need. To Jeremy because, honestly dude, if you don't hurry up and dump Jen and ask Kierra out, SOMEONE (most likely you) is going to die. To my two reviewers (Reidluver and TwoTails) for constantly making me smile! I've been smiling so much that it's making me sick. Bleck. Anyways…

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"SCREECHING/SCREAMING"

**((The random ANs' that I shove in there when I'm feeling like it.))**

* * *

Ten Ten was fuming. She couldn't find Neji, Sasuke was being a dick, and Sakura was downstairs making dinner (although the last one wasn't making her fume, it was saving her life. Sakura was a _much_ better cook then Ten Ten was).

Sasuke being a dick wasn't new, but not finding Neji was causing her grief. If she wanted to find him, he would always be around.

Right now she wanted to find him and bawl on his shoulder, because that was just what she did when she was feeling like crap. And right now, she was feeling like shit. She closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry.

And then a pair of strong, warm arms wrapped themselves around her waist, and she breathed a sigh of relief. He rested his head on her shoulder, bending because she was a lot shorter him. If this had been anyone, if they had been anyone, this would have been alright. But they were them, he was him, she was her. And she knew this was wrong, so wrong.

She was betraying her family on the worst level by standing here letting him hold her the way he was. But she couldn't help it. Neji made her feel safe.

She could remember frantic nights laying next to him, trying to get deeper, trying to let go, even if only for a second, because she knew that if anyone ever found out about this, even if it was just a little, it would cause a scandal.

She had no family name, and he was a Hyuuga. White-eyed, powerful, _dangerous_. Nothing that mattered even a little could happen between them.

At first, it had just been to gain his trust. To let him know that she was there, and that even if she was part of another group, she would be there for him. Then it suddenly had been so much more then just a fuck-buddy.

He would fall asleep, just holding her. She would wonder how he (he was a friggin' _robot!)_ could trust someone so easily. She would sit there, with his arms wrapped tight around her, and she would gently touch his hair, as she thought a lover might.

She knew that bliss couldn't last. She wouldn't leave, because that was cruel, and she knew Neji had had enough cruelty thrust upon him to last him lifetimes. She would not lay more of the horrid stuff on his broad shoulders.

Ten Ten was not cruel.

But in the morning, just after he had woken, and she was pretending to be asleep, she let herself love him. Even if it was only little.

Ten Ten almost wanted to push him away right now. So wrong, but it felt far too right to be legal, and all she could hear was the thumping that was his heart. She rested against him for a minute, because she knew, in her heart of hearts, that she would never push him away.

"Ten Ten? What wrong?"

His voice, soft, silky, lost, so very, very in love with someone –her- was right next to her ear. His breath was hot on the side of her neck, and she couldn't repress the shudder that wracked her body. She did not try to stop it either.

"Nothing Neji. I'm just tired. And I missed you."

It was true. She was tired. Hadn't slept a wink last night. And she had missed him. She had missed him more then anything.

She knew the rules of thievery.

Rule number one: never let anything get close to your heart, because someone who wants to hurt you will use it to rip your heart out and destroy you. Ten Ten had let Neji close to her heart. Hell, he was her heart.

Rule number two: never let anyone see your emotions. Ten Ten had always worn her heart on her sleeve, even if she was masking the true emotions, now was no different.

Rule number three: Stay alive at all costs. You can't do anything if you're dead. Ten Ten knew this one off by heart. She kept everything she cared about alive.

She looked out the window next to her, Neji still holding her around the waist. She knew that there would be a time when her love and her family would clash, and she would have to choose between the man she loved and her family.

She knew it would be an incredibly hard choice, and even now she couldn't choose. Her family were her family, they weren't temporary. They could always be there for her, although she wasn't sure what they would say if they could see her now.

Sakura would stand by her in this, because she could already see that Sakura liked it here. May be she didn't like the feeling of being totally alone, and maybe she didn't like the feeling of the place.

But Ten Ten had seen the way that Sakura had looked at Sasuke. Ten Ten had never seen that look Sakura's face before, and she was going to make the most of it.

Looks' like that were always good blackmail. Ten Ten knew that Sakura had never really believed in "love at first sight" but she had a feeling that that belief was about to change dramatically.

Neji was shaking her. It was starting to piss her off.

"Neji, I'm fine! There's no need to shake me!"

"Oh god Ten Ten, you scared me. You know I hate it when you zone off like that… I never know if you're alright or not… I'm sorry…"

Ten Ten looked up at him, and realized that the look in his eyes was fear. He was scared of losing her to whatever ghosts he thought were haunting her. She wrapped her arms around him, buried her face into the crook of his neck, and sighed in the unique scent that was Neji.

She loved Neji. There was no doubt about that. Ten Ten just had no idea how to break it to her family that she was in love with a significant member of Sharingan. She would have to talk to Sakura about this, as soon as she got the chance, if possible.

Neji continued to stare down at the girl he considered his future wife. She had been lost in thought for so long, it scared the life right out of him. Her eyes had been glazed over, and she had been barely breathing.

He was going to hurt whoever had thought up girls. He had no idea how they worked, honestly. He may have been a genius, but that wasn't helping at the moment. Apparently, females were beyond comprehension.

Ten Ten dug her face into his neck, and released a sigh.

Of what, he wasn't sure.

All he could do was rub her back soothingly to try and make her feel better. He hoped that she would be alright, because if she wasn't, he really would murder someone. Specifically whoever it was that had hurt her.

He was planning on asking her to marry him soon. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but in the foreseeable future for sure. He had already chosen the ring. Simple, platinum, something beautiful, but at the same time, functional.

He growled low in his throat.

She had started crying into his collar.

Neji abso-fucking-lutely hated it when she cried. If Shikamaru was here to see this, he would laugh at the growling coming from the other man's throat.

Neji didn't growl. It just didn't happen. Not unless you messed with a girl named Ten Ten. Neji knew Ten Ten could take care of herself, but it didn't stop him from worrying over her. He loved her. More then anything else in the entire world. He wasn't intending on letting her get hurt,

"Princess, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

His voice was full of concern, and it made Ten Ten smile.

"I told you Neji, I'm fine. Just thinking. Sasuke was being a jerk to me before, when I introduced Sakura. You'll meet her at dinner. She's cooking right now. And yes, to answer your question before you ask it, she's better at it then I am."

Neji smirked down at her.

"That's really very good. The last time you cooked you nearly gave us all food poisoning. Shino's the only one who can cook around here, and he doesn't like cooking very much (I can hardly blame him). Who's Sakura?"

"Sakura? Oh, she's a friend that I made at Bloody Blossoms. She was the maid there, and she hated it. So when I suggested having her come and work here, she jumped at the chance. Don't worry, she's trustworthy."

Neji nodded, unperturbed by the new girl. All it meant to him was they now had another spy to work with, and maybe this way he could spend more time with Ten Ten.

A call of "Supper!" from downstairs got both of their attentions. Time to find out how good of a cook Sakura could be.

"Ten Ten, is she dressed formally? You know the others will expect it."

"Yes, she is. She's wearing one of my dresses. The black and dark green one, if you want to know. Go get changed, I'll see you in a few minutes, k?"

He nodded again, and went down the hallway to his room. He quickly changed, then went down the stairs. When he got down there, Ten Ten was already seated, giving a pink-haired girl a smile of encouragement.

He glanced the girl over. Short pink hair that reached her shoulders, large green eyes, slightly large forehead… She was remarkable, that was for sure.

But she didn't attract him. Not the way Ten Ten's long coppery-brown locks did, or the way her chocolaty eyes made him, for lack of a better word, swoon. He couldn't think when Ten Ten was around, it was that simple. He was sure he'd never felt anything like that before.

In came Naruto, human hurricane in a box. He rushed to the table, and sat down at his usual place, just left of the head of the table. He looked at little confused, however, because the place seemed a little more cramped then usual.

He shrugged. They probably had some important guest coming over, and Ten Ten was back! She was already sitting there, so he went over and hugged her, the way a brother would hug a sister.

Ten Ten hugged him back, unaware of the get-your-filthy-paws-off-of-my-girl vibe coming from Neji. Naruto, dense he may be at points, caught it, turned and grinned foxily at Neji, and kissed Ten Ten on the cheek. Ten Ten laughed, kissed Naruto back and let go of him.

Neji fumed.

Sasuke cam in next, Shino and Shikamaru trailing behind him. **((I've just realized that I've been neglecting Shino! Poor Shino XD)) **Sasuke took one look around the room, and sat himself down at a random place setting. A minute or so later, Sakura came out with the first course, the rice balls.

She took one look at Sasuke, paled ever-so-slightly, and returned to the kitchen. He obviously caught the angry aura that was surrounding Ten Ten, because she looked like a thunder cloud. And at the moment, that look was scaring Sasuke shitless.

Suigetsu came up the stairs into the dining room, finally. Kakashi, as always was slow, but he made it there eventually. Sakura brought in more rice balls, smiling at the entire group as they all got ready to eat.

A chorus of "Itadakimasu!" came from around the group, as they all dug in hungrily. Apparently, Sakura wasn't as bad at cooking as she thought, because they all happily ate the rice balls.

She quickly got up and started to bring in the hot plates' of Chicken Teriyaki that had been requested by Ten Ten.

The males of the place took a single moment to contemplate the food, and then they gorged themselves. Sakura and Ten Ten managed not to look too thoroughly disgusted at their behavior.

Well, Sakura managed it. Ten Ten, on the other hand, sneered at the male population of the place, and smacked Neji over the top of his head. Apparently, that wasn't the smartest thing she had ever done, because it caused him to spit out the Teriyaki chicken in his mouth. All over the table.

Sakura twitched. She loved Ten Ten, but at the moment, she was NOT a happy camper. She had worked hard to make this table look beautiful, and now there was half-chewed food all over her hard work.

Someone was going to die. She half-growled low in her throat, and half the table looked at her. She was glaring furiously at Ten Ten and Neji, and Ten Ten quailed under the rosette's furious gaze.

"Clean that up. Now."

Neji, on the hand, was not as intelligent. He was looking at Sakura coolly, like he really didn't expect much of her, so he didn't prepare himself for the slap that reached his face. He didn't expect it to hurt as much as it did either.

Sakura stood up, still obviously seething, and she left the table. She needed to cool down, so she returned to the kitchen. Not many things made Sakura seethe, and Ten Ten knew it. She turned to Neji, annoyance written clearly across her face.

However, even as she turned, she didn't miss the surprised look on Sasuke's face. She smiled to herself, secretly, and began to plot to get them together in the back of her mind. Her attention at the moment, however, was focused on Neji, and Neji's stinging cheek.

"You deserved that. Don't deny it. When are you going to learn that pissing females off really isn't good for your health?"

He shrugged, and she got up, and followed Sakura into the kitchen. She found the rosette on the verge of tears, clearly distressed. No, to put it in terms most people can understand, Sakura was so pissed off, she was almost crying.

"Hey Saku… are you alright? Look, that was my fault, and I know Neji was being a dick about it, but… really girl, don't worry about it. They'll understand."

Sakura sniffed once more, before stating softly "I hope so Panda. Did you realize that there are seven of them? Seven, Ten Ten! I know this probably sounds totally crazy, but we've all sort of… paired off with them, haven't we? You and Neji, Shikamaru and Temari, Suigetsu and Karin(oh, she told me the whole story by the way…), sort of, in some twisted way, me and Sasuke… Oh god that's too weird to think about."

Ten Ten laughed at Sakura's very true statements.

"Now all we need is to have Anko and Kakashi pair off, and then the other four. Hmm, Naruto, Shino, Ino, and Hinata. Who'd you think would go with who?"

Sakura was smiling by now, the tear tracks on her cheeks the only reminder of why they were having this odd conversation.

"Shino and Ino would be together. It's fate, her name's in his! So that would leave Naruto and Hinata together. I dunno if that would work, he's really loud, isn't he?"

"Hinata may be shy, but that chick can kick some serious ass if she needs to, so I think they'll be alright. You _know_ how scary she is when she wants to be.

I don't think we should introduce them though, it may cause some confusion as to why we're half betraying everything we stood for. Well, for you anyways, I was already half-way there."

Sakura nodded. Ten Ten was right. Maybe, if they met by chance, however… She shook her head. Less then a full day with these losers and she was half-way to trying to figure out how to get them together! That, in her opinion, was not a good thing, but she was, in the back of her mind, hoping that they would meet.

Shino seemed quiet, someone who obviously liked to listen. He was just the type of guy that Ino would never go for, and would end up being the sort of guy Ino would marry. That's just the way that Ino was. **((shifty eyes No Chelsey, I'm not hinting at annnnnnnnything at all. I'm serious here!! XDXDXD… suuuuuure I'm not…)) **

Hinata, on the other hand, required someone loud and brash, so that she could come out of that researcher-shell of hers. Sakura hated that shell. It had kept the awesome chick that Hinata was hidden from view from the rest if the world for years. It was time, in both Sakura's and Ten Ten's opinion, that that shell had to disappear. For Hinata's own good.

Now that Sakura had calmed down enough, both women went back into the dining room. It was still deadly quiet, and all the males in the room were eating quietly (even Naruto! Le GASP!).

Ten Ten pulled the rosette back through the door, smiled brilliantly at all of them, and allowed her friend to see that Neji had, indeed, cleaned up the mess.

Sakura smiled back, just as brilliantly, albeit slightly less enthusiastic. She sat down next to Sasuke, and Ten Ten got 'The Look' on her face.

It was the "Oh-you-have-explaining-to-do!!' look. Sakura almost groaned out loud. There was no getting out of an interrogation now.

Sasuke looked down at the sea foam-eyed rosette sitting next to him. He almost wanted to apologize to her for his earlier rudeness. But that would be so totally un-Sasuke-ish that all the men (and Ten Ten) around the table would snort into their cups. He would apologize later, he decided.

In private, with no disapproving eyes to watch his apology.

He continued to stare at her. Her hair was pink, for god's sake! She was so colourful, it made him sick. But he couldn't help but stare at her in morbid fascination. God, he was weird. And, he decided, as he took another bite of her Chicken Teriyaki, she wasn't that bad a cook. She was better then Ten Ten by far.

He realized that while he'd been staring at her, she, and the rest of the group, had been finishing her dinner, she was cleaning up the table, with help from the rest of the group. He 'Hn'-ed at nothing in particular, and got up to help her. As he passed her, he was able to whisper in her ear.

"Meet me later, outside at the pond, ok? I have something to say."

She looked surprised, but nodded silently. Then she smiled at Naruto, and laughed at something Suigetsu had said. Sasuke felt something stir in his chest. Jealousy.

Damnit, he hadn't even known her for a full day! What was the world coming to?!

* * *

I thought that went rather well. Now I have TWO things to randomly put up. R and R people, I freaking ADORE reviews! They make me want to update!!


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Well, life blows

**AN:** Well, life blows. Why is it I always fall in love with the one guy I KNOW I can never get? Anyways… I'm exhausted, and I'm so, so, SO sad… Sorry for bitching about this everyone. I just need to vent. TTTT God, I'm so sad right now… I need to type something sad… I have, in fact, hit a bout of depression, and I'm sick, so this is probably going to suck Jaymen's balls, and I would never force anyone to do that. It's far too cruel.

Hope this makes you all happy, as I actually spend more time on this then my homework. Also, if you see anything that is grammatically incorrect, please tell me. I would appreciate it. I'm not really sure what pairing I feel like working on… Sasu/Saku because I love it, and maybe Naru/Hina!!

HOLY SHIT I LOVE YOU GUYS!! LOOK AT ALL THE REVIEWS!! EVEN FOR MY OTHER STORIES!! Omigod, I am in love… Also, I'm very sorry this didn't get up sooner. My laptop hates me, and it loves my younger brother. He's the only person in my entire family who can get the Craptop to work properly.

In regards to Adrianna. I hate her. I just hate her.

**Disclaimer:** Ha, I wish.

**Dedication:** To Chelsey for understanding. To Kierra for helping me take care of Richard, Chelsey and Torrey. To my hacking abilities which finally got me back on the computer. To TwoTails for ordering me off my lazy ass so that I can get this chapter finished. I love you all. I will not say less then three, because it looks like a triangle mooning the world.

* * *

Sakura was staring in wonder at the pond. The moon's face was reflected on the water, leaving the place lit with an unearthly glow.

She stared down at her reflection. She didn't recognize the girl staring back at her. The dress really did wonders for her figures. She was glowing, the moon's light reflecting off her skin. The dress seemed like thick, silver water, and the green edging had lightened considerably in the current light.

She smiled at the reflection. The other girl smiled back. Sakura thought the other girl was pretty. She knelt down on the bank, and stirred her finger through the water, distorting the picture. The pretty, unearthly girl disappeared into the dark water. Sakura sat there until the picture came back. She stared at the girl for a little longer.

"Sa-sakura?"

The voice came out of nowhere. Dammit, same deep, smexy, should-not-exist-in-real-life voice.

She stood up, turned, her shoulder-length hair blowing in the light breeze, blowing leaves around her form, her dress whipping around her legs. The lake behind her was still glowing, leaving no doubt at all in Sasuke's mind. She was gorgeous.

Sakura was beautiful, and she belonged to no one. He could tell that much from the way she was standing. Straight up, shoulders back, chin raised, belligerent sea-foam green **((Gratuitous add. I love Sea-Foam Green, but this story is my baby. :) )) **eyes locked onto his. She was obviously someone who was not used to being told 'No'.

He walked over to her, hands stuck deep into the pockets on his trousers. He wanted to reach out and touch her, to see if she really was real. She was almost glowing, and he wanted to know if she felt as ethereal as she looked right at that moment.

She half smiled at him. God, even her smile was sexy. Was there anything about this chick that was normal?!

"You wanted to talk to me?"

Her voice, soft and melodious, jolted him out of his thoughts. He inclined his head in her direction.

"I… wanted to say sorry. For earlier. I know I was being a jerk."

"It's fine, really, don't worry about it. You seemed upset, so I'll attribute it to that. Anyway, I'll guess I'll see you later, okay?"

She didn't wait for him to answer, but turned towards the lake and sat down. Sasuke smirked. He had a feeling that Ten Ten was going to blow the house up when she found the grass stains on Sakura's dress.

He stood there for a moment, trying to decide what to do. He shrugged and went to sit down beside her. She looked up at him, surprised for lack of a better word, and then nodded her acceptance. After sitting there for several minutes, both of them simply enjoying the night, Sakura laid her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes.

Sasuke was glad for that fact, because he didn't feel like having her tease him for blushing. He had never been very good with the opposite sex. That much was painfully obvious to anyone who knew him even a little bit.

They sat there for a while, Sakura's head on Sasuke's shoulder. After a few minutes or so, poor little Sasuke's blush died down, and he let himself enjoy it. It was a peaceful, quiet night, and there was nothing to bother them.

After what seemed (to Sasuke at the very least) to be a very short period of time, Sakura got up. She smiled down at him, bent down, kissed him on the cheek, and turned towards the house.

"Wait, where are you going?"

He could hear the panic in his voice. What if she left?

"I've got to go home. I'll be back tomorrow, don't worry."

He didn't say anything, and neither did she. She just smiled at him, and then she turned and left. Sasuke felt that something had just gone on there, but he really wasn't quite sure what.

As soon as Sakura got back into the house, she breathed a sigh.

'Ok, that was scary. Let's not do that again, hmm? I got too close there, I let my heart into play. What the fuck?! I haven't even known him for a full friggin' day!'

She didn't realize she had been saying all of this out loud. Ten Ten was standing in front of her, snickering. Sakura blushed, but she started giggling herself. It really was kinda funny.

"Sakura sweetheart, now you see why I have such a problem when I'm around them. Yes, they're slobs, and yes, they're children at heart, but they're so much fun. That's the reason I can't bring myself to betray them. It's also the reason I can't bring myself to betray you guys, because you're my sisters, and I would never forgive myself. So I just dunno what to do…"

Sakura nodded. She understood what Ten Ten meant. These men were very capable of many things, and Sakura could see that. She wanted to dig deeper into their psyche, because Sakura did things like that. Temari hadn't taught her psychology for nothing!

"I get what you mean Panda… Y'know, I've been thinking. Maybe we should somehow… push the rest of our little families together. It would be an improvement on the constant fighting. I know for a fact that Sunshine hates it. Let's work on her and Naruto first, because he's dense, and she's shy."

"You're actually really into this, aren't you? Wow, and I though I was the only one, and that I must be going crazy. So it's not me, ha! …Right, if that's the plan, then you should go home. Try to get Hinata to go shopping with you tomorrow at… oh, say 10:30 in the morning? I'll be out with Naruto at Suzuki Market, because if I'm not there, no one knows what the hell he'd come home with. If we can do that, we can get them to meet, and I'm sure Hinata would like him."

Sakura nodded once again.

"Right then, I'll see you tomorrow. But first, I'm getting changed out of this dress."

Sakura rushed up stairs to her temporary room, grabbed her clothes from earlier, and put them on. She sighed happily. She had never felt better in her own clothes then she did now. She hated having emotional shocks when she was in another person's clothes. For some reason, it didn't feel right.

After pulling the black tank top over her head, and fixing her jeans, she was ready to go. As she got down the stairs, she noticed a couple of hoodies. She grabbed one, shrugged it over her shoulders, and sighed as a familiar scent engulfed her. She didn't know where she knew the scent from, but it was comforting, and it made her think of good things. **((How's THAT for foreshadowing, Mr. LeBonde?! …I hated my English teacher last year. He was a dick.))**

She got on her bike, revved the engine, and took off into the calm, warm night.

Sakura loved riding her bike. Sense of freedom, hair whipping in the wind, yada yada yada. Anyone could say that. To really understand what Sakura was feeling at the moment, most people would have to take the best memory they had and multiply that feeling by ten. Or, they could just go get high.

She was speeding down the skyway, at a hundred kilometers over the speed limit. **((Yes, I am Canadian, I use the Metric system.))**

Speed. It was one of the best things in the entire world. It got adrenaline running through your veins, and it let you stop thinking, let you stop feeling for a little while, even if it wasn't for long.

She zipped up the boulevard, careful not to be too loud, and realized how close she was to getting home. As she drove up the mile-and-a-half-long driveway, she carefully scanned the place for any signs of change. She knew that Anko would have gotten in all the parts for the new traps, and, knowing Anko, she would have already set them up.

Sakura pressed her thumb onto the garage-opening pad, and watched as it recognized her fingerprint. She half-smirked at the thought of how much work Temari's brain put into keeping them alive. Thumbprint recognition technology was just a small part of it. Temari had worked on the delicate technology for a week and a half, which was unusual, due to Temari's over-capacity to take things way too far, and to be way too smart about them.

She slipped into the garage, parked her bike in its usual spot, and pulled out her infrared goggles. Quickly checking the perimeter, she deducted that nothing had changed, in here at least. Everything was too quiet. It wasn't that late, so Sakura knew that they (meaning her family) wouldn't be in bed yet.

She opened the door into the rest of the house, and sighed happily as she saw a tiny filament.

'Anko's been here recently. This has got 'Anko' written all over it. She's the only one who would waste her time turning this place into a living death trap.'

She stepped over the wire, and bypassed the infrared lasers that lined the door. She could hear murmuring coming from the kitchen, so that was where she went. As soon as she opened the door into the kitchen area, noise hit her like a hammer.

"There you are! Took you long enough! Damn, the traps didn't go off? You obviously got by them, because I set them up so that if you set even one of them off, you'd be dead…"

Lavender hair, violet eyes, a carnivorous grin, and hands on hips came into Sakura's vision. Anko was speaking at a rate that most people only dream of.

"Anko, sweetheart, calm down, you're babbling. Wait, were they really that bad? Anko, I know you love keeping us on our toes, but you do realize that no one except one of us can get in here? Isn't death a little harsh? I know we're good, but no one is _that_ good."

Anko nodded to Sakura's statement.

"Yes, they were that bad, and yes, I do realize that small little, oh-so-unimportant little fact. The reason I make them so bad is because if this were anywhere else, and this was just another job, those traps would be designed to induced either death, or extreame pain, or extream pain and then death. You can't fool around on jobs like this Sakura."

"Anko, calm down, I'm not insulting your teaching methods. But y'know, it would be nice to come home to an un-booby-trapped house once in a while. Jeez, I'm so hungry right now. Sunshine, is there any food left in the fridge?"

Hinata raised her head off the table, where she had been laying it, lazily opened one eye, and nodded.

"There should be some leftover soki soba, sitting on the counter next to the fridge. Saku, you're coming with me to get groceries tomorrow, we're running out."

"Oh yes, because we don't have enough food downstairs to feed an army for a month. Note the sarcasm dripping off my tongue. But whatever, I don't really care. Hey, where's Ino?"

"Don't be cheeky. How about at sometime around one? She's already upstairs, probably asleep. You know how much that chick likes her beauty sleep."

"I'm not being cheeky. I'm just being overly sarcastic. Nah, that's too late in the day. How does 10:30-ish sound? Suzuki Market, right? …Oh, okay then, I was just wondering."

"10:30 sounds great, and yes, Suzuki Market. Do we ever go anywhere else? They sell the best pork buns there! Aww, Saku-chan's so shweet."

Sakura laughed at the indigo-haired female's true desire. Forget buying groceries, Hinata wanted pork buns, damnit!

Sakura went over to the counter and grabbed the leftover soki soba noodles, and started eating them, making loud slurping noises as she did so. Karin, who was sitting in the corner, drinking hot chocolate, snorted into her cup.

"I love you Saku-chan, but you table manners leave something to be desired."

"Oh shush Karin, I'm not at the table, and right now, I really don't care. I'm hungry and tired, and these soba noodles are REALLY, REALLY YUMMY!!"

Karin sweat-dropped and shook her head at Sakura's annoyingly obvious enthusiasm.

"They're better when they're warm."

"Oh shush."

Sakura continues slurping down the soba noodles, oblivious to the looks the other three females in the room were giving her.

"Talk about weird. She's reputed to be one of the best thieves in the country, but when it comes to food, forget about that little fact."

After finishing what was left of the noodles (which was considerably a lot) Sakura stood up a little straighter (she had been leaning on the counter), stretched and yawned.

"Hey, I'm going to bed. I'm so exhausted right now. I will see you all in the morning."

Sakura trudged up the stairs to her room, closing the door behind her when she got there. She staggered over to her bed, and fell down on the duvet-covered sheets. She didn't get changed into her pajamas, but opted instead to stay they way she was, in the hoodie and the tank and the jeans. **((I sleep in stuff like that all the time. Soooo comfy.)) **She slid under the covers, turned out the light, closed her eyes and fell into a deep, untroubled sleep.

**Back in the kitchen with Hinata, Anko and Karin**

"Well, that's alright then. I was starting to wonder why she wasn't home yet. It's not like Sakura to just take off without letting anyone know. Maybe she needed some time to herself?"

Hinata's reply was soft.

"Anko, that happens sometimes. Remember when Ino thought she was pregnant because of that one job? She was always disappearing for hours, sometimes days, at a time. Maybe Saku needs to sort out her thoughts on where she stands with something. It does happen. We all have to come to terms with what we're doing, although it may not be that either. You just never know."

Anko nodded, and turned towards Karin, who was sitting in her corner with a smirk on her lips.

"What'cha grinnin' bout?"

"Our next job."

"You got something then?"

"Yuppers. There's a going to be an auction at Shanna-baachan's place. Apparently, all the biggest designers and artists are going to be there. They're all bringing they're work."

"Did we get an invite?"

"Of course, if we didn't, would I be telling you this?"

"Touché. Alright, I'll set Temari to work on it. Hmm… I think that you and Temari will be the decoys this time. Ino hasn't had work in a while, and we all know how badly Sakura deals with people. We really should start working on that, shouldn't we?"

Karin laughed, and nodded.

"Right then, if that's the case, I'm going to bed. Everyone needs their beauty rest. God, I can't believe I just said that. It's such an Ino thing to say."

Anko hung her head at her own use of such Ino-ish language, and disappeared up the stairs to, hopefully her bedroom.

Hinata too, decided that it was time for bed, because she had finally finished cleaning. She tilted her head at Karin, who obviously understood the unspoken question, as she shook her head with a smile in her lips. She held up the paper she was reading, and Hinata took it as dismissal.

After Hinata left, Karin turned the page, and found, to her great surprise and horror, a picture of the Charity Ball from two nights ago. Smack dab in the middle was herself and Suigetsu dancing.

Oh shit.

* * *

Tee-hee. I had fun with this chapter, as much as I am depressed. Does anyone but me see where this is going?


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Well, apparently no one saw this coming

**AN: **Well, apparently no one saw this coming. Tee-hee, I had soooo much fun with this. Damn, when I get my hands on him, Jaymen is DEAD.

Thank you guys so much! I really try hard to make this story seem believable, and apparently it is. :) So anyways… I'm trying to get this up fast, because I only have time to type at school. Yes, my father still won't let me on the computer.

I know this took a long, long, long, LONG time, but I am trying. Don't give up on me yet! I had trouble visualizing this for the longest time. I apologize to those (TWOTAILS, TWOTAILS, TWOTAILS) who have been so patiently waiting, especially considering I know how much she hates waiting. I'M SO SORRY!! PLEASE FORGIVE MEEE!!

**Disclaimer:** I own Naruto when Hell freezes over. I own Apple when Kierra and I start dating. Thus, never. (I LOVE YOU KIERRA, but not like that.) I own AirWalk when Jeff isn't smart. As if that's ever gonna happen. I don't own ANYTHING, to make this very clear.

**Dedication:** To alcohol, Richard, and joyriding. For the lovely people I call friends, in particular Chelsey, Kierra, and Sandra. To Torrey, because I promised him that if he stopped skipping gym, I would give him another dedication.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**((The random AN's that I feel like adding in there….))**

_Lyrics, or emphasis on certain words._

* * *

Karin woke up worrying. That picture could ruin everything. It had her name on it, for god's sake! If anyone saw it, ANYONE at all, who was important, then there would be some major repercussion coming from Anko. Jeez, what's the point in living if you have Anko Mitarashi breathing down your neck?

She stretched out her shoulders, which had cramped while she had been asleep. An annoyed yawn, and a neck crack later she was good to go take a shower.

The hot water killed the knots that had arisen in her neck over night. She got out ten minutes later (they had Sakura to drive up their water bill, no need to help that one. It was expensive without her help) and toweled off. She ran her fingers through her fushsia hair, leaving it messy as per usual.

She pulled on a pair of black pin-striped pants, a simple white blouse with three-quarter length sleeves and a black halter-vest. After yawning again, she slid her favorite pair of glasses onto her nose, and trudged down the stairs into the kitchen.

The first thing she saw was Anko, with her hands on her hips and a glare on her lips.

Shit, shit, double shit.

"I saw the paper."

She was being straightforward and out in the open, as Anko usually was, but there was something in her eyes that scared the living crap out of Karin.

"Anko-dono, it wasn't my fault, I didn't know they had taken a picture! If I had known, I would have done something about-!"

"Karin, I understand that it's not your fault, but this is serious. All you can is decoy now. And I know that's what you like, but still… I care about you, and I don't want you getting caught. Who's that boy, by the way?"

Karin turned deep red at being scolded.

"I understand, and it's true that I like decoy. It's where I fit. His first name is Suigetsu… I have no idea of his last name. Temari ran a background check on him, he doesn't come up with anything. Do you have anything against him?"

"No, but Shikamaru didn't come up with anything either, and I still told Temari to stay away from him. Unless you have proof, solid, rock-hard proof, that he has no connection to Sharingan, I will not let you near him."

Karin hung her head. She knew it would never work between her and Suigetsu, but she couldn't help hoping that Anko might let up for once.

She looked up, and saw Anko looking at her, and in Anko's eyes was a sad, understanding kindness. Karin wouldn't let herself cry, but at this rate, she was going to be on the ground bawling her eyes out. Dammit.

Karin hoped deeply that nothing bad would come of this, but she doubted she would luck out. And from the look Anko was giving her, the older woman doubted it too.

This was going to hurt, and Karin knew it.

Sakura sleepily opened her eyes and checked the clock on her night table. It was almost 10:30! Jeez, could she sleep, or what?

She groggily forced herself out of bed and towards her bathroom. A shower would do her some good. As she turned the faucet on, hot water gushed up into her face, and she was tempted to take a long, luxurious bath. Anko had turned her onto them, who had, in turn, been swayed into them, from someone else. Sakura never asked who it was because, whoever they were, they had good ideas. **((For Ronnie X3 )) **

A bath and an hour and a half later she lazily got herself out of the now lukewarm water. Slipping into her room, wearing nothing but a towel and soaked hair, she started to get dressed. She knew she had to remember something, but she couldn't remember what, and it was chewing at her brain.

Pulling on a skin-tight red tank top, a pair of well-worn jeans with holes in the knees, and the black hoodie she had grabbed from the Sharingan hideout, she lazed downstairs. As soon as she got down there, she saw Hinata.

The whole last night came back to her, and she slapped her forehead in frustration. How could she have been so stupid? She _knew_ Hinata had asked her to come shopping, and she _knew _Ten Ten was depending on her to be there by one o'clock… damnit.

Hinata stared at her thoroughly annoyed.

"Sakura, are we going to go, or not?! I've been waiting for you to get out of that tub for half an hour!"

"Ne, sorry Hina-chan… I'm ready to go now."

Hinata's sharp look softened into her signature small smile.

"You gonna grab your iPod?"

Hinata's voice was coming from the hall, where she had already darted off to.

"Yup, hold on."

Sakura slipped her favorite, well-worn, AirWalk shoes onto her feet, and zipped out the open door after Hinata.

She hopped over the side of Hinata's Audi convertible, and strapped herself in. Hinata was out of the garage just about twenty seconds after the garage door had opened enough. Both of the women laughed mirthfully as adrenaline rushed through them.

Hinata turned her MP3 jack on to as loud as possible, Sakura's iPod blasting '24 Story Love Affair' by Faber Drive. The two of them sang along at the tops of their lungs, until Hinata got bored. **((XD She has music ADD, just like me.))**

She flipped the song to 'Rooftops' by the Lost Prophets.

_Standing on the rooftops_

_Everybody scream you heart out_

_This is all we got now_

_Everybody scream your heart out_

They were screaming along with the well-known lyrics for pretty much the rest of the ride, hair flying all over the place in the whipping wind, to Suzuki Market.

Ten Ten picked up some beef-flavored ramen, tilted her head, and nervously checked her watch, _again._ Sakura did not do late. She did fashionably late, but not half-hour late! That was just not Sakura's style! And Hinata was always on time, despite Ino's constant reminders on how important it was to be late.

Then her cell rang, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Sakura's number. It was just a text, so she knew Sakura was with Hinata. All the text said was something along the lines of 'We're at the front, meet us there, now'.

Ten Ten nodded to herself, and pulled Naruto towards the front with her. The blonde boy groaned as she pulled him away from his favorite subject. Food. Or, to be more precise, ramen.

Ten Ten smirked. Ramen wouldn't be his favorite for long.

The bun haired girl turned a corner, still smirking, and came face-to-face with her conspirator. Hinata seemed generally surprised to see them, and Ten Ten couldn't help notice the way her eyes lingered on Naruto before she blushed and lowered her gaze. Damn, she was going shy again. Gotta do something about that.

"Hey Panda! I didn't realize you were going to be coming!"

Sakura's voice broke through Ten Ten's plotting, and cut the through the awkward silence like a knife. Ten Ten thanked god for Saku-chan.

"Ya, I thought we might do some shopping. We were running out of food at home. I haven't seen you Hinata, in, like, months!"

Sakura beamed. Even when put under pressure, Ten Ten was the most graceful liar she had ever met. She could still hold up the pretense of just being friends, and it didn't even make her sweat, even with Naruto scrutinizing her, the way he was.

"Well, I suppose introductions are in order. Naruto, this is Hinata Hyuuga. And of course, you already know Sakura."

Naruto's eyes had widened a fraction at the name "Hyuuga". They weren't one of the most influential families in Konohagakure for nothing! He had also noticed the girl's resemblance to Neji. While Neji held no attraction for him, Hinata did.

With big, lavender-white eyes, red lips, indigo hair, and a tiny, curvy figure, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen in his life. She smiled at him, and he felt his knees wobble. Little did he know, or suspect, that she was having trouble not fainting at that exact same moment.

'She's so… gorgeous…'

"Uh… Hi. I'm not at all sure what to say."

Her voice was quiet, with hints of laughter hidden in among the nervous melody. Naruto melted into a puddle of that goopy stuff you always step in when you have new shoes on.

Hinata blushed to the roots of her hair, smiled at him again, and murmured something under her breath about matchmaking friends before addressing Sakura.

"Anyways, are we going to shop, or are we going to shop?"

Sakura laughed at both Hinata's apparent infatuation with the blonde-haired male in front of them, and her impatient-ness at everyone not doing anything.

Ten Ten could tell three things from this mess of an unorthodox first date. First, Hinata had probably just fallen in love. Second, Naruto was a puddle of mush over Hinata. Third, Sakura was having the time of her life with this situation.

"Hey, Panda, you wanna come shopping with us? We need to grab some food for the house, we're running out. Then maybe we can all go get pizza or ramen or something together!"

Sakura's obvious enthusiasm for spending time with each other was infectious. Who could _not_ want to spend time with the pink-haired girl whose laughter rung like bells? But Naruto was looking right past her into the eyes of the shy little Hyuuga girl whose image he would probably have stuck in his head for a good long time.

He was still staring at her! Hinata tucked a stray hair behind her ear, and dared herself to look him in the eyes. She caught site of very intense sky blue orbs _still staring at her_ and it was all she could do to prevent the blood from rushing into her head and causing her to faint.

What was Sakura doing?! She would fall over and die of the blood rushing to her brain if she had to spend lunch with him! Wait, had Ten Ten said they knew each other? How did that work? What about Sakura's horrible people skills? Had _everything_ she'd known gone out the window in the last few minutes?!

She gulped, and nearly redded out when she Ten Ten's evil smirk, and the knowing look in her eyes. At the bun-haired girls next words, she stumbled into Sakura for strength.

"That sounds great Sakura! I think that we'll have fun! …Hey, Hinata, are you alright? You seem a little… woozy."

"I… I think I must be hungry… or something…"

"Well then, how's about we go right now! You two can finish your shopping after that, okay? Look at the time, it's almost twelve anyway."

Hinata nodded, still feeling slightly dizzy. Those eyes made her stomach churn, in a way that she wanted to feel for the rest of her life. Sakura grasped Ten Ten's arm, and pulled her towards the door, leaving Hinata and Naruto to follow along like the good little puppies they were.

'Very subtle Sakura…'

Naruto laughed at his own thought. Sakura had obviously set this up. Even _he_ wasn't _that_ dense. But he looked down at the tiny girl (she must have been no more then five foot four; her bone structure was so miniscule **((Yes!! I've made Naruto… smrt….))**).

He shrugged and, in a rush of bravery, very gently took her hand. She looked up at him, surprised to find herself in this situation, and a blush crossed her nose. Good Lord, even her blush was adorable. All Naruto could do was smile faintly at her, as they walked along.

This was the start of something beautiful, even if neither of them knew it yet.

* * *

Ino was lying in bed, brushing her hair. Stroke, stroke, stroke went the brush. Half-sigh, silence, half-sigh. God, she was so exhausted. Temari had been screaming in her sleep again last night, and it had kept Ino up.

None of the girls, not even Anko, had decided to take her up on it. There was so much going on with the poor woman, Ino couldn't really blame her.

The whole Shikamaru thing, and then extra work piled on top of that, plus the fact that Temari had made it her personal mission to invent new security technology to make sure nothing could get in or out without her knowing… Well, Ino had no idea how she managed it.

"All I have to do is figure out ways to make use of Temari's random inventions, like that amazing bullet-proof fabric of hers."

Ino smiled at the mere thought of the fabric. Fabric. That brought something to her mind. She hadn't been out shopping for clothes, or anything to make clothes with for that matter, in days. She knew she had been in withdrawal from something, she just couldn't put her finger on what. Now that she knew what her problem was, she was able to fix it.

Psychological advice, courtesy of Temari.

Ino had a sudden idea. A shop-til-you-drop marathon, and then some serious ice cream time, was exactly what Temari needed to take her mind off of everything that had been bothering her for the past several days. Ino almost cheered.

Off she went to find a withdrawn-from-society twenty-three-year-old.

* * *

Naruto and the three girls were sitting in a little oden shop, situated just outside the mall.

After ordering (Naruto naturally ordered ramen. The other three went a little less conspicuous, each one ordering a different type of oden) they all sat and happily talked until they're food came. After that, not a sound was heard, except the clink of sake glasses, the quiet clicking of chopsticks, and Naruto's slurping up the delicious substance known as chicken-vegetable ramen.

Hinata let herself quietly smile as Naruto slurped. He was so cute! She hadn't noticed before, but there were scars across his cheeks, three on each side, evenly spaced. They almost looked like whiskers.

A sudden image of him with fox ears and tail came across her mind. She had trouble not squealing at the cuteness of the mental picture. It was just too adorable!!

She had to do something about this, right now. Actually, no, she would talk to Sakura as soon as they got back into the car. She needed to figure out how Sakura and Ten Ten knew him, from where, all the details. Details were important.

She had a sneaking suspicion he was from Sharingan. Something about him said "thief". The way he stood, the way his hands were so restless, the way he kept fidgeting. All signs of someone who had been in the business, and been in the business a long time. Sakura moved that way, sometimes, after she had just got back from a particularly dangerous job.

But, god, he was so cute!

And she'd never felt so nervous in front of a male as she did now. Usually, she kept her cool, and would glare daggers at the annoying man if he so much as touched her. She was shy, but not scared. Never scared.


	10. Chapter 10

Hi guys! Hi Ronnie! (Much love for you dahling, from me. You make everything better!!) This is for any and everyone who has put their time into reading the crub I come up with. As I'm typing this, I'm listening to DJ Cammy's Endless Summer, and also Celebrate the Summer. Yes, I miss the summertime. I miss the sunshine. In Calgary, winter has no good sunshine. Rawrz.

'K guys, I still have no idea where this is going (well, actually, I do, but that's not of importance, I just don't know how it's going to there,) so, if there's anything you want me to put in, just tell me.

Ok, I have NO inspiration, and that's the reason this took so long. And I say later, I was grounded off the computer. Thanks to everyone who read it and took a second to review. You're all the best.

Oh, and I turned 16. I feel old.

**Disclaimer:** Wow, I haven't written one of these in a long time…. Sweetheart, this is called FANfiction. If I owned Naruto, I wouldn't be writing this. I'm not that arrogant. I don't own anything, except a pair of well-worn AirWalks, and this laptop. So go away.

**Dedication:** To my darling Ronnie! I hope that plagiarizing bitch gets' what she deserves. The "Friends" series is the best, and it's all yours!! Sweetie, I'm sorry this is taking so long; I got grounded of the computer. Tomorrow all I'll be doing is reading the rest of "Secret", and I'll start on "Crushed", ok? Also to Tanner, because you're just _so_ cute.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

_Either lyrics or emphasis on certain words._

**((My awesome ANs that make everyone bow to their awesomeness. XD God, I'm a freak…)))**

* * *

Suigetsu picked up the Sunday paper, still half asleep. He yawned, and stretched as he opened it to the front page.

His eyes popped open, his mouth gaped, and all he could do was cheer. There, on the front page, was a picture of him and Karin! The black and scarlet silk dress really did wonders for her figure.

He rushed down the stairs to Shikamaru's hidey-hole, and started yelling.

Upon hearing Shikamaru's low groan, he stopped his screaming, and lowered his voice.

"Shikamaru, I found a picture in the paper. Look, isn't she beautiful? Isn't she the most gorgeous thing ever?"

"She's very pretty… It says she's part of a rich group of businesswomen who got an invitation for their huge contribution to a local charity, hence the Charity Ball. It also says that her other business associates declined comment, and didn't want their names posted. How odd. …There's also something else here… Apparently, Temari no Sabaku was seen pulling Karin Fukumoto out of the ball."

He was quiet for a moment.

"We've found them Suigetsu. I found Temari, you found Karin…"

"Well, now what?"

"Now we set some bait and end up capturing them like butterflies caught in a spider's web."

"Because _that's_ not morbid _at all._"

"Oh, shut up Suigetsu, no one wants' to hear your shit anyway."

"Haha, you wish. Anyways, I'm out of here. I have to go check the mail, in case of possible openings for jobs. I'm so bored, I'm gonna die."

"Alright, I'll see you later."

As Suigetsu ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time, all he could think of was the fact that he was going to see her again. It was all that mattered to him.

He ran past Sasuke, who seemed to be in a daze. His eyes were glazed over, and he looked like he had got no sleep.

Suigetsu half-turned towards him to talk to him, but thought better of it. His brain was in another world, one called "Strawberry", and because of it, he tripped, fell, and landed flat on his face.

"Damn," was all he muttered as he pulled himself up off the floor. He dusted off his faded jeans and his favorite loose dark grey t-shirt, made sure his chain necklace was still in place, and off he went again, his thoughts closer to the ground.

He forced the mailbox open, and pulled out the mail.

The poor mailbox was in horrible condition. It was bent and dented in several places, and the door hinge always got stuck. This was probably due to the fact that Kakashi was usually the one who got the mail, and if there were ever bills (and there usually were), he would immediately punch the thing closest to him (which was always the mailbox).

Suigetsu just shook his head as he glanced at it, and muttered to himself.

"Gonna need a new one of those soon…"

He chuckled out loud and slowly walked up the drive. This gave him, nosy person that he was, more time to open the others mail.

"Bills, bills, more bills… Jeez, Kakashi's gonna have an apoplexy. Junk, more junk, something for Sasuke, so junk… let's see here… some shit for Shino, not junk, Naruto's biking magazine **((I was nice here. I had been planning on making it a knitting or a Chatelaine magazine, but I couldn't be that mean. Can you imagine Naruto reading a knitting magazine? It's too funny. XD))**, not junk, because I actually like reading that thing, a package for Shikamaru, if I throw that out I'm gonna get murdered,and, what the hell, a credit card company's number for me? What the fuck? I don't need another credit card; I've already got so many I don't know what to do with them all. Totally junk."

He grumbled and let himself into the house, bringing the mail with him. He set down the mail in piles, the same way Kakashi had forced into their brains time and time again. Kakashi did not like things out of place, so even the mail had to be in order.

'Pile for Shino, pile for Naruto, package for Shikamaru, junk, bills. There we go, that's everything.'

He left, and went upstairs just as Shino came slowly into the kitchen.

Shino walked to the table, where he assumed the mail was. He picked up his mail, a letter from someone important, asking for their financial help yet again.

Anyone who knew anything knew to go to Shino Aburame if they needed financial assistance, because he took care of all Sharingan's financial business, although Kakashi did it sometimes as well. Kakashi took care of the bills, and he often ended up in the hospital because he got so easily angered about how expensive they were.

To put it bluntly, everyone else in Sharingan thought it was the funniest thing any of them had ever seen, because Kakashi hated hospitals more then anything else, including Bloody Blossoms.

When he was in the hospital was usually the time that the boys had the most fun, because they could be gay-ass teenage boys if they wanted too, and there was no one to tell them different. They always made sure they cleaned up before he got home.

* * *

Temari was shaking. She had just woken up from another nightmare that involved Shikamaru snuffing it. This time, he had fallen off a bridge, and she had almost been there to save him, but for some reason, she couldn't move.

She shivered, and in through her door burst Ino, all gussied up.

"C'mon sweetie, we're going out!"

"W-what? Ino, what time is it?"

"It's half past twelve. You need to get up." Ino laughed as she spoke.

"Why, your greatness, must I leave the comfortable, warm confines of my bedroom?"

The sarcasm in Temari's voice was palpable.

"Because, silly! We're going shopping. That's what you need. You need a shop-til-you-drop, and you also need ice cream. So. Get up, get dressed, and get ready to go!"

Temari laughed at Ino's obvious enthusiasm. It was infectious, getting into Temari's veins. She hadn't had fun in so long…

She jumped out of bed, still laughing. What the hell, right? Shopping with Ino was always fun, because the tall, beautiful blonde got hit on more then most models. The last time they had been shopping together, Ino had almost kicked some random guy in the balls because he wouldn't leave her alone. It was always worth the laughs.

And besides. Ice cream on a cold, blowy day always made everyone feel better, right?

As she got dressed, Temari turned to Ino.

"Ice cream in the morning? That seems a little unorthodox."

"Ice cream is appropriate at _any_ time of the day darling, whether you like it or not. Now hurry up. I have one of Anko's several platinum cards, and I don't intend to give it back until it's empty."

"Uhhh… Ino… That thing has no limit…"

"And that is exactly why I'll be depleating it. It's not like we don't have enough money. All Saku has to do is go steal something big and shiny, and we'll be set. After all, that –thing, I can't remember what it's called, the one that Karin found- should be able to get us through several years without ever needing to work."

"Ha, as if Sakura would ever stop stealing for more then two minutes at a time. She can get through almost any type of security without help on her own, and she has no ethics."

"Temari sweetheart? Sorry to burst your bubble, but _none_ of us has ethics. If we did, we wouldn't be doing what we're doing."

Temari stopped for a moment, before slowly grinning. It was slightly feral, and Ino smirked at the sight of it.

"Well then, Ino dear. We have shopping to do. What are we going to take, and where are we going to go?"

"I'm not quite sure. Prada sound good for a start? And we can go see that wonderfully huge new mall downtown. I'm sure there's an Urban Trade somewhere in there. We can buy a few movies too, while we're at it."

"Ino, we can just down-"

"No downloading, I like owning the movie better. That way we can watch it over and over again. And over and over and over. We should also grab Karin, she seemed really down this morning… Not really sure why though."

Ino had an extreme dislike of downloading, because it meant that she couldn't spend money. And Karin had been extraordinarily quiet that morning, so both Temari and Ino thought that she should get out of the house.

"That's a good idea Ino, she did look sad. So, when are we going to get going?"

"As soon as you get the rest of your clothes on."

Temari laughed, and got up to change. Ino flounced out of the room, her golden hair swinging from side to side as she walked.

Temari's door closed with a click behind her, and she heard the unmistakable sounds of Paramore's Misery Business blasting through the usually sound-proof walls. Ino sighed. Temari was going to cause herself to go deaf.

Twenty minutes later, Temari came out, fully dressed, hair up in her signature four ponytails. Ino shook her head at her one of her dearest friends choice of style but said nothing.

They rushed down the stairs, grabbing a moping Karin, and zipped out the door.

Ino pulled Temari and Karin out the door into the garage. The only thing Ino could do was hope that the both of them would be alright once they got out into the open air, and once they got some serious shopping done.

* * *

Hinata's sneaking suspicion was turning into full-out alarm. He _had_ to be a thief. His stance was on guard, and he moved with the trained care that any master thief had to have learned. She surreptitiously watched his movements. His hands didn't stop fidgeting. She had watched Anko and Sakura come back from many jobs. She knew what it looked like when you were trained and, despite that training, couldn't stop moving. That was the way he moved.

And despite her alarm, Hinata found it undeniably sexy.

Ten Ten and Sakura were somewhere else, farther down the pathway. They had all decided against shopping in favor of a walk.

Naruto was still holding her hand, and she was still two seconds away from fainting. But she had survived this long. Maybe, hopefully, luckily, she would make it through the rest of the afternoon, and then she could interrogate Sakura and Ten Ten alone.

Or maybe not. This was rather nice, after all. Usually, boys went strait for Sakura's big green eyes and her pink hair, or Ten Ten's incredibly curvy figure. They usually didn't even look her way. But Naruto had looked past the both of them, straight into her eyes, and she realized that she might be falling in love with him.

And that was bad.

Very bad.

Naruto and Hinata continued to wander the pathway after Sakura and Ten Ten, enjoying the scenery and the other's company, even though neither of them said anything. It was like they had known each other for their entire lives, and had only recently realized they were in love.

Sakura smirked and snickered.

"This was our best idea yet Ten Ten, and that includes all those random pranks we played on the neighbors when we were kids. This is _so_ great. Look at them, they look like they're in total bliss!"

Ten Ten giggled.

"I know, isn't it great?! But I think Hinata suspects he's part of Sharingan, I could see her watching the way he moves, and I'm sure she saw the fidgets. He gets' them when he hasn't had anything to do in a while. And since you take all the work, they have nothing to do…"

"C'mon Panda, I know they're cute, but admit it, you like watching me steal all the work, and then you get to see their faces the next day. It's gotta be worth it."

"That. Is very true. And I must admit it _is_ amusing."

"Anyways, what are we going to do now? I don't think we can get out of the interrogation Hinata's planning in the back of her mind."

"Then we tell her truth. The whole truth, because you know she knows when we lie. I still don't know how she does it, but she's able to."

"I suppose. It might be the only thing we _can_ do."

"It is."

* * *

Anko lay in the circle of Kakashi's arms, half awake, half asleep, not sure where she was, not sure _who_ she was. She had no idea how she'd tell her girls that she was in love with someone. She'd feel even more like a hypocrite then she already did now.

She thought of the look on Temari's face after she had forced her to leave Shikamaru, for all their safety, and knew she could never do it. She could see Karin's face, dark eyes accusing –full of betrayed hurt-, in her mind's eye, and knew that without a doubt she would never be able to hurt her girls that way.

This was a choice between her two loves, and she knew she wasn't ready to make that choice yet, if she ever made it at all. She knew, deep inside her, the answer.

It would be the girls, it would always be her girls. She could never destroy them the way they way that this would. She stared at Kakashi's face for only a second, and then kissed the scar on his right eye.

Kakashi stirred next to her, and all she could do was soothe him back into the deep slumber he had just been currently removed from. She snuggled closer to his chest, and closed her eyes. He stopped moving, and wrapped his arms more securely around her waist.

All she could do for now was keep living the double lie she had come to adore.


	11. Chapter 11

Well. Apparently, people have noticed that I wrote something. Who knew? Let's see, what's new… Really, not much. I'm bored out of my mind at school, and since I can't get on the computer at home (_AGAIN…_), this is the only time I can get anything done. Thank god for double spares.

Listening to CrushCrushCrush by Paramore for the first part and the little bit with Kakashi, now I'm listening to Low by T-Pain. I had a field day with the songs and this chapter. Ino's finally gonna meet Shino, we're going to have a little Shika/Tema reunion (_that_ will be fun), and some (actually a LOT) of Kaka/Anko angst (SORRY RONNIE, PLEASE DON'T HATE MEEEEE!!). Not to mention plenty of cute Naru/Hina fluff. Oh, and there might be some Sasu/Saku, if I get around to it. If not… then it'll be part of next chapter.

Inspiration is still running on empty, but the reviews helped a lot. This'll be out as soon as possible. YAY!! My darling Ronnie finally reviewed, so this'll be up in a few days!! Ronnie yelled at me cuz it's taking to long. I'M TRYING!! PLEASE STILL LOVE MEEE!!

I still feel old.

**Disclaimer:** I'm not rich. I don't own Naruto or anything else I mention. Please don't sue meee…

**Dedication:** To Torrey and Richard for driving me all over the place, even though it's Torrey's car. To Chelsey, Kierra, and Jessica because I love you three, and because we seriously need to go dancing again. Dancing like sluts is fun. XD. To Ronnie, because without her, this would never get up. Sigh.

* * *

Tears were pouring down Temari's face.

Ino had just canned yet another man who thought he could lay a hand on her. It was just too funny. Temari was on the ground laughing as Ino went off in a huff about life in general.

Temari ambled along after her, happily ignoring the looks from everyone who heard her humming a soft, sad melody. A flash of dark hair up in a horsetail. She whipped around, only to be disappointed as she realized that it wasn't who she thought it was.

Ino turned towards her, noticed the lost look in Temari's eyes, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into a lingerie store.

Temari goes "Gak."

As Ino steps over the threshold with Temari well in hand, Ten Ten trailing behind them, the store's owners' -a little old lady by the name of Mrs. Billings- eyes went wide. Ino wasn't known around this mall for nothing. She spent money like water.

Mrs. Billings ushered the rest of the costumers out of the shop, and immediately tended to Ino, and Ino's platinum card.

Temari stared around the shop in slight horror. The place was pinker then Valentine's Day on crack! She shuddered, and then let out a little snort of laughter at what Ten Ten would do in here. She'd probably twitch, and start trying to destroy the place.

Karin was equally -if not more- horrified then Temari was. Sure, her hair was pink, but not this pink!

Ino was currently browsing through a particularly pink rack. She pulled something out in triumph.

A violet thong and matching bra for Temari, and crimson for Karin.

Temari's eyes opened so wide, Ino thought they might pop out of their sockets. Karin just stared in horrified silence.

"I-I-I cannot, w-will not, wear that… THING!"

Ino smirked evilly.

"That's what _you_ think, my dear."

* * *

Kakashi twitched. There, on the counter, lay his nemesis.

Bills.

He glared at them. They lay there looking innocent. He knew that they weren't even _close_ to innocent. Still, there they lay, looking battered and yellowed, and so _innocent_ it made him angry. Twitch, twitch.

They still didn't move, and he still didn't stop glaring, but he resigned himself and –inchingly, agonizingly- slowly he carefully opened them without looking at them.

He did some quick calculations in his head.

And then he howled.

Someone was going to die. Someone who took long showers. Wait, he took the longest showers, and the longest baths… hmmm… how to blame this on Suigetsu, and make it seem like it wasn't his fault…

Kakashi was left to plot in silence.

He _really_ hated bills.

* * *

All in Sharingan's insanely large mansion's eyes widened. That sound. Kakashi's Howl of Doom. RUN FOR IT!!

They all dashed out of the place, every one of them. Sasuke, Neji, and even Shikamaru got his lazy ass out of there. Kakashi was still snarling, and they knew it. The all moved as fast as they could to the nearest bar.

Ten minutes and 48 seconds later, the three of them were happily getting drunk. All of them were expecting Kakashi to come stomping in at any minute, after blowing off some steam destroying the nearest forest.

He never came.

Sasuke shrugged. He didn't really care. The farther away from Kakashi he was at the moment, the better off he was. Shikamaru nodded mutely to his muttered statement, before laughing at Neji.

Neji was drunk. He was a complete lightweight, and the room was already spinning after only a few sips of watered down beer. Shikamaru was still laughing snarkily at him. The man was one of those brave drunks; where he's usually fairly sarcastic and quiet, but when he got drunk, he had no problem telling the world exactly what he thought of it.

Neji thought of Ten Ten then. Chocolate hair; smiling eyes; soft, red lips. God, he loved her.

At that moment, someone –a woman, most likely- came up behind him and started trailing her fingers down his back. What the hell, it was barely noon! He shook her off by throwing her one of his dirtiest glares. She looked offended, and moved off.

And so he went back to thinking about the girl he was going to marry. She had been on edge recently; he had noticed which was unusual, because he rarely noticed such trivial things. She had barely let him hold her the last time they had been together, she had been so tense.

But that didn't matter. In two weeks, nothing would ever matter again. They would be happy for once in their lives –for the rest of their lives-, and neither of them would have to be alone ever again.

* * *

Where was Kakashi? Well, let's see, a certain purple haired woman named Anko had drawn him out of the evilness that is bills.

She called him just after the Howl of Doom, when he was still snarling at anything and everything.

As soon as he heard her voice, he calmed down. She had that effect on him.

"I'll be at the little café where we met for the first time, ok? Meet me there in a twenty minutes."

"Alright. I love you. Bye."

Anko was freaking. How was she supposed to try to tell him that they were over after that?! He had just told her he loved her!

She calmed herself down.

It had taken thinking. A lot of hard, soul-tearing thinking. She smoothed her dress over her thighs and sighed. She adored Kakashi. She adored him so much, she had been thinking about choosing him over the girls.

And then she'd had a bucket of cold water dumped over her head in the form of a screaming Temari that morning. Temari was as broken now as the rest of the girls would be if her choice would be Kakashi.

She couldn't do that.

Besides, she was already so attached to him… She closed her eyes. This was going to hurt.

* * *

Hinata had cornered Sakura in the car after Ten Ten and Naruto left.

There were the flames of Hell in her eyes.

Sakura was scared for her life.

"L-look Hina-chan. It wasn't completely a set-up!!"

"Ya, sure it wasn't, and my father didn't abuse me as a child."

Sakura gulped. Hinata _never_ referred to her father, unless she absolutely had to. This was deep, deep, deep into dangerous territory.

Sakura sighed in resignation, and Hinata grinned triumphantly.

"Okay, so maybe it was a set-up. But… there's more to it then that. Ten Ten will help me explain as soon as she frees herself from Naruto's clutches. I'm pretty sure he's giving her this same talk, if I know him at all."

"Oh, you know him, huh Sakura? Where do you know him from? And you know what? I've half a mind to get the truth out of you right now, but that could prove fatal, and besides, I would rather wait to slaughter both of you at the same time."

Sakura shivered. Hinata was _so scary_ when she wanted to be.

"Look, I know it was set-up, and I have what used to be a sneaking suspicion that Naruto's from Sharingan. If he is, why didn't you tell me before?"

Sakura remained firmly clammed up. Hinata sighed.

"You're just making this hard on yourself."

Sakura just nodded, as Hinata turned the car's radio up.

_Shawty had them apple bottom jeans (jeans)_

_Boots with the fur (with the fur)_

_And the whole club's_

_Looking at her_

_She hit the floor (she hit the floor)_

_Next thing you know _

_Shawty got low low low low low low low low_

_Them baggy sweat pants  
A__nd the Reeboks with the straps (with the straps)  
She turned around and gave that big booty a smack (ayy)  
She hit the floor (she hit the floor)  
Next thing you know  
Shawty got low low low low low low low low_

Both girls looked at the radio, then at each other, and then at the radio again, before deciding the song was worth dancing in their seats to.

Hinata couldn't help it. Spending time with Sakura and good music always put her in a good mood.

Besides. Sakura was wearing apple-bottom jeans, and she was wearing baggy sweat pants. What could be more perfect?

As she released the clutch, the small silver car sped off taking the two singing girls with it.

* * *

Shino and Shikamaru were walking through the mall, Shino still wearing his signature glasses and trench coat, Shikamaru with his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

Shikamaru could hear laughter coming from everywhere, but he just couldn't get into it. He was so out of it, he couldn't even be lazy. His genius IQ was planning episode after episode after episode of what could happen when he saw her again.

And then a familiar laugh drew his attention. Fairly high, full-voiced, the kind of laugh that bubbles in your throat before bursting out of you. Temari's laugh. He twisted around, looking for the source of the laugh. He identified it, coming from a closed store. A _closed_ store? That couldn't be right…

Shino just stood behind him, shaking his head at his companion.

'Idiot… Here we go again…'

And then something rather unexpected happened.

Someone -a girl, Shino assumed, from the long blonde hair- came rushing out and slammed into his chest. She looked up at him, and their eyes met. He couldn't help but stare. Her eyes were a deep pure blue, the colour of the summer sky. He gulped.

Suddenly, the places where her hands were up against his chest burned white hot, although Shino had a feeling that it wasn't her, it was simply his… hormones.

"Oh!"

She backed up, hand over her mouth.

"I'm sorry, that was my fault, and I was just trying to get away from an evil friend of mine…"

He nodded without a word.

And then said friend came barreling out of the lingerie shop, shaking an ugly mottled-green-and-brown bra in Ino's direction.

"How _could _you Ino?! This is _so_ much worse then the one that-…"

And then the colour drained out of her face, and Shikamaru completely stopped breathing.

Temari no Sabaku was standing in front of him, looking like she was about to faint. And he was right, because about two seconds later her eyes fluttered closed and she fell forward. He caught her before she hit the floor, and he held her close.

Ino's eyes glittered in satisfaction and amusement. This reunion had been a long time coming. When Temari came to, she would think it was another dream, but since Shikamaru would probably be right beside her, Ino knew that wasn't going to happen.

Karin came out after them, eyes narrowed in suspicion. She hoped Temari hadn't murdered Ino for that horrible thing with the bra. She stepped out the door, and stopped dead. Temari was gently being lowered to the floor by none other then Shikamaru.

Her eyes snapped open, and zipped over to Ino, who was grinning at the picture they made lazily. There was a slight blush on her cheeks that Karin knew had nothing to do with Temari and Shikamaru, and everything to do with the boy standing next to her. Oh, the giggle with a hand over her mouth.

Thank God for photographic memory. She would never for get this little episode.

Anko's hands were clamped in her lap as she waited for Kakashi at the little café where they met. Every time someone came in the door, she jumped and twisted around to see who it was. Kakashi wasn't late yet. He had five minutes…

Three…

And then in he came, and Anko had never been more horrified to see him.

**((That's all you get. SO THERE RONNIE!! For all the evil cliff hangers you've ever left me with!!**

**R&R people, I love reviews more then the sun and the moon, and the whole wide world. :) ))**


	12. Chapter 12

Dammit

Dammit. All my work got frikin' deleted. I'm going to shoot something. I have had the worst day of my life, and y'know what? If someone messes with my today, there will be blood.

O.O Everyone, thank you SO MUCH. All the reviews really got me going. I blush in happiness. Actually, no I don't really blush. Anyway Now! We get to the good part that Ronnie-chan has been nagging me for! FINALLY! ANGST!!

I am dealing with a lot of shit at school, and from a lot of different people. So if I'm angry, don't blame it on me, blame it on the people at my school.

**Disclaimer:** Ha-ha. I own Naruto (and whatever else I mention) the day I go to Heaven. And since I'm pretty sure I'm Hell-bound, there's no chance of that. Ever.

**Dedication:** To ice-cream and broken hearts and best friends who don't care.

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

_Lyrics or emphasis on certain words_

**((Bow to my awesome ANs. Bow I tell you, BOW!! XD))**

* * *

The first thing Temari saw when she opened her eyes was a blurry scene of skin, and dark hair. Her vision returned unnaturally slowly, and she was confused as to where she was. She didn't know if she was lying in bed in their apartment, or if she was still at the mall with Ino.

She could see -something blurry in a familiar Shikamaru way-, she could feel that she was lying on something soft, and she had weight. So she wasn't dead. That was a good thing, she supposed.

She looked up, and –with her eyes they way they normally were- she could see Shikamaru. She smirked mischievously at him. She reached up, and tugged the hair tie out of his hair. His hair fell in a curtain around both of their faces.

They just stared at each other.

"Shika..."

"Shhh. Just let me look at you." **((I'm a romantic sap.))**

She didn't move, and neither did he.

"Wait. Where are Karin and Ino?"

"Y'mean the two chicks that you were with? Shino took Blondie somewhere else, and Strawberry just left."

"So Ino's with a guy?! And Karin'll be fine."

"Don't worry. Shino won't rape her."

Temari laughed softly.

"It's not her I'm worried about. Ino can take care of herself. It's your friend I'm scared for. Ino has issues with guys hitting on her. They rarely leave with their balls attached. The entertainment value alone is enough to keep her around."

Shikamaru chuckled.

"You know, I haven't held you like this in a year." His voice was soft, and full of pain.

"I know."

"So where does this leave us?"

Temari had no answer.

* * *

Ten Ten was breathing deeply, her eyes half-closed in concentration. She was trying to reach her cell phone while driving.

The familiar ring tone told her it was Sakura who had texted her.

_dnt come home 4 a couple days_

_Hina mad cuz we set her up_

_when u get bak we hav to tel her abut Naru_

Ten Ten let out a snort of laughter. Sakura was probably cowering before the scariness that was an angry Hinata Hyuuga.

As she expertly pulled the black Lamborghini into its parking space at Sharingan, she closed her fingers around her phone.

'A few more minutes...'

As soon as she got out of the vehicle, she noticed something strange. The place was suspiciously empty. It wasn't until she got inside that she understood why.

There was a pile of bills as thick as her waist sitting on the table. Knowing her boys, and knowing their reactions to everything, she had a feeling Kakashi had howled. And that left in her in no doubt as to where Neji was. The local bar down the street was her best –and most probably- guess.

She walked the two-and-a-half blocks down to the bar. When she first met Kakashi she had had a horrible feeling that he'd bought the place mostly for the bar. Two weeks of knowing him, and that horrible feeling had turned into amused carelessness. Let them get drunk. Her and the girls did get drunk all the time, so Ten Ten had no right to reprimand them, because that would make her hypocritical.

And Ten Ten hated hypocrites. **((Soooooo ironic...))**

She walked into the bar. It was open. Ugh, when wasn't it open?

Some drunk old creeper came up to her, and tried to put his arm around her. She smilingly removed his arm from her, telling him quietly to keep away from her.

"But mizzz! Imma goood guuuuy. Imma suuure youd'a love to ssspendd somee timee wit meee.."

"No, I wouldn't. Now get your body away from me, before I force you to move."

He didn't move.

Sigh. Stupid man. Will they ever learn?

Ten Ten shoved her shoulder into his chest, and slammed her fist into his gut. He was on the floor unconscious in about two seconds. She dusted her hands off.

"Egh. God, they try this _every time_. When are they going to learn I dislike being hit on?"

There he was. He was sitting up, next to the bar. Sasuke and Suigetsu were there too. Huh. So Kakashi had howled. Well. That made life hard, didn't it?

"C'mon guys. Get up. I don't want to have to deal with a drunk Neji on my own. Besides Sasuke, I know you can hold your alcohol. So get up. Now."

Both Sasuke and Suigetsu got up, grumbling. They grabbed Neji's arms and hoisted him up over their shoulders.

"Dude, how the hell are you such a lightweight, but you weigh a goddamn ton?" Sasuke's voice was stock full of irritation. He was carrying a drunk man who had only drank a watered down beer.

Goddamn lightweight.

Ten Ten giggled. This was probably the funniest thing she'd see for the next few days. As soon as she got home, she'd have to deal with a cowering Sakura, and an extremely angry Hinata. That couldn't be good.

"Let's get out of here. The only reason I deal with this un-classy bar is because it has good booze."

Stupid Sasuke and his rude half-drunkenness. Ten Ten shook her head as Suigetsu smashed a fist into his head. Considering Sasuke didn't move, it couldn't have hurt that much, but he was drunk, and he would have a killer hangover.

As they dragged a still so-pissed-drunk-he's-passed-out Neji towards home, Ten Ten shivered. There was something on the wind; something sinister that had reached a boiling point. What could it be...?

* * *

Anko's breathing was ragged and soft. Kakashi had never heard her breathing like that before. He sat down across her. She was looking straight at him, her eyes locked onto his own. She never did that.

"Anko, what's going on?"

"Nothing."

He took her words at face value for, oh, about zip. Anko was a good liar, but when a woman said "Nothing," she means "Something huge and serious, and if you don't ask me about it, you'll get to keep your balls". Kakashi knew this was applicable in Anko's case.

"Anko, tell me what's going on."

She glared at him fiercely for a moment, before her shoulder's sagged, and her eyes got bright with unshed tears.

"I-I'm sorry Kakashi. I can't see you anymore. This is… goodbye…"

And then she was out the door and running, running as fast as she could, because she knew that as soon as Kakashi realized what had happened, he'd be up and after her, for an explanation. She had none to give.

She slipped into her car, started the engine, and left the curb, her cheeks wet with tears.

Kakashi was stunned. Had she just… ended it? Ended everything they had stood for? Ended every promise to eventually get married? He looked down, closed his eyes, turned away from where she had just been sitting.

God, his heart hurt.

He stood up slowly, not wanting to break the fragile silence the room had suddenly settled into. A few women eyed him, and a couple of dudes his age shot him sympathetic looks.

He could hear what they were thinking; it was written all over their faces. 'Poor man, look where love landed him.' 'Maybe now he'll understand how he made us feel.' 'Losing someone close to you isn't easy, is it?'

He couldn't stand it.

He dashed out the door, fully intending to catch up to her. But by the time he got out the door, he could already see her car speeding off down the skyway. She was crying. This was hurting her as badly as it was killing him; so why had it happened?

Was it something he didn't do? Was it something that had just happened? Did she not love him anymore?

He dropped his head into his hands, sat down on the curb, and cried. He didn't make a sound, but hidden tears were streaming down his cheekbones into the mask that covered both his nose and mouth.

This wasn't right. This wasn't how things were supposed to be.

* * *

Ino was blushing.

They were in the middle of a mall – a mall she knew _well_- and she was blushing! What is going on here?! She tilted her head, so she got a visual on the boy she was walking with.

He was gorgeous. There was no two ways about it. He was wearing a tan trench coat (in Ino's opinion _very sexy), _over a simple black cotton T-shirt, and a pair of dark-wash jeans. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses, even in the mall. She found it a little strange, but none-the-less, it made him mysterious.

She bit back another overly-girlish giggle.

'What the fuck? I don't giggle, ever!!' Ino's mind-voice always had been rude; at least compared to her outward, sweet exterior.

'Oh, screw this, why am I even pretending? He's so totally gorgeous, I'm about to pass out. Not good, not good, not good…'

Ino was angry at herself. She never let herself lose control like this. Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit…

Humph.

Ino threw her long blonde hair over her shoulder, resistance back in place. She knew he had watched, knew from the way a slight blush coloured his cheeks when she had lifted her hair off her bare shoulders.

Oh. This was going to be sooooo much fun.

Karin was happily window-shopping. She didn't have too; she could go in an buy whatever the hell she wanted, but there was no real reason to. She had enough clothes. She did not, however, have enough CDs. She didn't even stop to look inside when she came to the HMV.

She raced to the Punk rack, and started shuffling through the piles of music. Plus 44, Three Days Grace, Escape The Fate…

After grabbing eighteen different CDs, she decided that this was enough to satisfy her weird need for music for the rest of the month. So what if she could buy it right off of iTunes? Having the CD was so much better, Karin wouldn't even try to describe it.

She went to the cashier, and handed over Anko's platinum card. When he handed it back, she stopped and looked at it for a moment or two. She hadn't seen Anko in days. It wasn't unusual for her to go missing for two-three days at a time, but a week?

That was a little much, even for Anko.

She gripped the card tightly in her hand, the edges digging into her skin. Karin was going to find out what was going on, even if it killed her.

She had a feeling it just might.


	13. Chapter 13

Hi there everyone

Hi there everyone! How are you guys doing? I'm writing right now, mostly because I'm so angry I can't do anything else. It's something I love writing (this story) or an essay (1000 words, on the Odyssey. Groan…). So you wonderful people get to have something to read! I hope you like it. :D Ohhh, Ch. 13. The unlcuky chapter. But wait... there's nothing unlucky about it... hmmm...

The song Sakura was singing was 'Nobody Puts Baby In A Corner' by Fall Out Boy. It's a very good song. I lurve it. I also thought it fit the scene nicely.

**Disclaimer:** Ha-haaa. I just laugh. I don't own Naruto, Fall Out Boy, or anything else I mention here. Please don't sue me; I'm seriously so poor.

**Dedication:** To Ronnie, because I GET TO BREAK GENMA'S NOSE!! AND I get a cameo in the next installment of "Friends"!! AND she put this story on her favorites list, and it's one of three on there. I'm seriously so honored honey, you have NO IDEA. I'm so happy. XD To Alex, because she's stuck in the hospital, and she deserves it for putting up with me. Also to chocokittens (May I call you Emma?) because she cheers me up so much.

Also, to my school friends, because I'm so sick right now, and they're all coming to visit me! I feel so loved.

EXTREME THANKS TO Music 1s my s0ul!! She sent me TWELVE JARS OF COOKES!! TWELVE!! I bow to your awesomness. I tolf you I'd give youaq dedication, didn't I?

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**((My ANs for when I just can't resist putting my two cents in.))**

_Emphasis on certain words, or song lyrics_

* * *

Four days later, Sakura was back at Sharingan's mansion. She had escaped her own little hovel of a room, because, let's be honest, she was terrified of Hinata in a rage.

And Hinata was still very defiantly in a rage.

After all, Ten Ten hadn't come home as of yet, so Hinata hadn't had her chance to kill them both.

And that was why Sakura Haruno was standing in Sharingan's kitchen, washing dishes and singing her heart out to the music playing from her iPod. On Sasuke's iPod jack.

She hadn't thought much of grabbing it out of his room, because the door was unlocked (after she had picked it, of course), and the light was off, and besides, she knew the only other people in the place were Ten Ten and Neji.

_Drink down that gin and kerosene_

_Come spit on bridges with me_

_Just to keep us warm_

_And light a match and leave me be_

_I keep my jealousy close because_

_It's all mine_

_And if you say you're happy then I'm not the only one lying_

_Keep quiet! _

_Nothing comes as easy as you. _

_Can I lay in your bed all day? _

_I'll be your best kept secret, and your biggest mistake. _

_The hand behind this pen relives a failure every day_

Sasuke walked into his room. The first thing he noticed? His iPod jack was gone.

So he did the only thing he thought was sensible. He stormed down to the kitchen. He could hear music, and that meant that Sakura was back again, and that she had stolen his iPod. The scene that met him when he reached the kitchen however, was not one that he had expected.

Sunlight was pouring in through the enormous windows. Sakura was standing at the sink, up to her elbows in soap suds. She was wearing an apron over an extremely fetching dress of the softest green. She was singing to something he didn't quite recognize, and she sounded more then slightly amazing, to Sasuke at least. Her skin and hair were glowing, lit up by the sunlight.

Sasuke's chest constricted painfully.

There was something so relaxed and honest about it. She looked like heaven. Untainted, pure, innocent, happiness. He'd never seen anything quite like it.

He walked up behind her silently, and wrapped his arms around her. She let out a squeak of surprise. Sasuke Uchiha did not do things like this!

"Am I bothering you?"

That voice. 'So unfair,' was the only thing that Sakura could think.

She shook her head slightly, and went back to humming as she kept on washing the dishes.

This was… nice. Relaxing. This surprised Sasuke, because there was very little that he considered "nice". He pulled the body in his arms a little closer, and he realized that he was suddenly thinking that he could get very used to this.

Maybe, when all this had died down, and he was done with the thieving, maybe, maybe, _maybe_ they could be happy. Maybe they could get married, and maybe… 'Hold on there, dude, don't get ahead of yourself', he told himself sternly. But that didn't change the way his brain was intent on thinking.

'Stupid brain!'

Sakura, on the other hand, had no idea anything was going through Sasuke's head, and was simply happy that he had gotten over the odd fear of touching he had developed in the time they had spent together.

The only thing she was worried about was Kakashi and Anko. They were both going through periods of depression, and Sakura had more then a sneaking suspicion that they had been together.

If that was so, then how come everything had gone so bad so quick?

She didn't want to know.

She leaned back into Sasuke's chest, still humming along to the music in the background. She could get used to this, and very quickly, too.

* * *

Anko was still crying. Four days later, and she still couldn't get over the fact that she was never going to do… anything with Kakashi. No children, no warm summer days in a little cottage by the lake, no cold winter days spent sipping hot chocolate for her, and no coffee for him.

She sobbed and shook a little. Her heart hurt, and it wasn't getting any better. If it didn't, and soon, she was afraid her heart might stop, just to stop the constant, throbbing pain in her chest.

Ino, concerned over her adopted mother's state, wrapped her arms around Anko, and let the woman sob herself dry. After ten minutes, Ino's shirt was soaked through. She sighed, because it was so sickening to see Anko like this.

In Ino's memory, Anko had never cried, not once. So it was disconcerting and disturbing to see the usually strong woman break down like this. Ino knew that something had happened, something extraordinarily hard, something that had power over Anko. Something that had broken her heart into pieces.

And there weren't many things that had that power.

Anko sobbed again.

They were dry sobs now. She had no more tears left in her.

Ino was an angel from heaven right at that moment, in Anko's opinion. As she clutched at the younger girl for support, she knew that this was the reason she had left Kakashi. The blonde girl was making her resolve to stay away from him harder.

But that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

Ino gently pulled herself out of Anko's tight grip.

"Hunny, I'm going to get you some tea, ok? I know how much you don't like coffee."

Anko nodded, her voice too hoarse from the crying to speak. As soon as Ino disappeared into the kitchen, Anko curled into a ball.

The fetal position had always held such comfort for her, and she didn't know why. But right now, that comfort was the only thing on her mind.

Ino came back in, Hinata and Temari and Karin trailing behind her. They all had identical looks of extreme concern and pity on their faces.

Anko hated pity.

It was one of the many reasons that had drawn her and Kakashi together. Their equal hatred of pity from those around them.

"Don't pity me. I don't need it."

Her voice… it killed her to hear how weak it sounded, even to herself.

The girls looked at each other, then at her, then at each other again. They all came forward at the same moment, to wrap their arms around her in a wonderful, many armed group hug.

What did she do to deserve such wonderful friends?

* * *

No one had seen Kakashi once in four days.

The boys, Ten Ten and Sakura were worried sick.

* * *

Ten Ten closed her eyes. Neji was lying next to her, staring at the ceiling. Neither of them said anything, but they understood each other anyways. They were holding hands, and it was just quiet.

So quiet. It was nice, in a way.

No crazy Naruto running around screaming, no Sasuke brooding over Sakura in a corner, no annoying Suigetsu running around screaming with Naruto…Wait… Hadn't she thought that already?

All of Sharingan (except for the two of them, and Sakura, and possibly Sasuke. Ten Ten thought she heard the silent thief come in the door) were out looking for Kakashi. No one had seen him, no one had heard from him, and not even Shikamaru, with his stupid, giant brain could figure out where he might have gone to.

Ten Ten knew that she and Sakura were going to have to go home eventually, but she _really_ did not want to face Hinata's wrath. It was dangerous to be on the receiving end of Hinata's godlike wrath.

Ten Ten smirked. You just had to _look_ at Hinata, and you knew she wasn't someone to mess with. Despite the slenderness to her, there was something elegant and dangerous about the way she held herself. That hirl was _not_ someone to cross.

And Hinata's eyes were unique to her family.

Thinking of Hinata's family made Ten Ten want to grimace in disgust and start singing at the same time. Well, thinking of what Hinata's father had put Hinata through made her want to grimace with disgust, but thinking of Hinata's cousin made her want to sing.

Neji. Neji, Neji, Neji. He was her world. She knew he was looking at her right at that moment (she could feel his eyes on her, he had sworn more then once). This wasn't true at all, she just knew that he was always looking in her general direction, so whenever she caught him looking at her, Ten Ten would just smile a secret smile, and pretend not to have seen.

He loved her.

She had known this for a very long time and she knew, without a doubt, that she loved him too.

She adored everything about him. His mouth and lips (when they quirked upwards, because they did so on occasion), his eyes (different then Hinata's. Hinata's had a slight lavender tint to them, his were simply white), his hair (she had told him more then once that it was nicer then her own)… just… everything… everything about him.

She turned over to face him. He was still looking at her.

"Do you love me?"

Ten Ten's voice startled him. He had been so busy deciding which of her features their children would have, he hadn't realized she had been talking to him. He caught the last part of the question, so he knew what she asking.

"Of course I love you. How could I not?"

"Even if I was somebody different? Even if I was someone else?"

"Ten Ten, no matter what happens, I will _always _love you. You're the other half of my soul. I don't know what I would do without you. I think I would probably die."

Ten Ten's cheeks warmed at these words. Despite the fact that they made her squirm with happiness, it didn't change the fact that they chilled her to the bone.

She was not meant to be happy. Her childhood had proved this. But, just once, she wanted this. She wanted this for herself, because she wouldn't always be a weapons specialist. One day, she would have to do something else.

Getting married had always been her dream.

Recently, Neji had entered the picture, and she knew he had ruined her for any other person. She would always compare whoever she was with to Neji, and she knew they would never measure up.

"I love you, too."

Neji smirked.

She had answered his unspoken question.

He didn't have to wait long now…

* * *

Hinata pulled the light spring jacket around her form, pulled it a little closer to her body.

It was cold, for March 31st. Hinata curled into herself against the wind. **((Its bloody well April, and it's snowing! KILL ME!!))**

It was sunny, but the wind ruined the beautiful spring day. Stupid wind…

Hinata was sitting on a swing, thinking. There was not much else she could do. Anko was out of sorts, and so they had nothing new to do, nothing to prepare for.

After all, they did nothing without Anko being involved.

She hadn't seen Sakura or Ten Ten together as of yet. She was still angry at them for setting up, because it was very embarrassing,

She had a feeling Naruto had been slightly on the embarrassed side, too. That was okay though. It only made him cuter.

Hinata blushed at the thought of him. Something about him drew her to him. There was sadness in his eyes, forced down and repressed, but it was there. She wanted to help him get over it.

She pushed herself off the ground slightly with her foot. Damn, it made the wind stronger.

Hinata was so wrapped up in her thoughts; she didn't notice someone calling behind her 'til they were right behind her.

"Kakash-!! Oh. Hey Hinata."

Hinata whipped around to find a very intense pair of blue eyes staring at her. She gulped.

"Hey Naruto. What's going on?"

"I'm looking for my old man. I haven't seen him in a few days, so I thought I'd go looking for him. Haven't found him yet, though. He just up and disappeared. I think his girlfriend dumped him"

"Oh, really? That's odd. A friend of mine just got dumped, as well. She's having a really hard time with it."

He nodded without really thinking about it.

"Hey, could I sit down, if it doesn't bother you?"

Hinata laughed, because the thought that he would be bothering her very funny. She pointed to the seat next to her, and he sat down with a bow. They smiled at each other, and then sat in silence, enjoying each other's companionship.

* * *

Temari was staring up at the sky. She was floating in the pool, looking up at the sky through the sun roof.

She was happy. Out of her mind, blissfully happy. It was that kind of wild, crazy, woozy happiness that one typically associates with love.

And Temari was defiantly in love. Very defiantly in love. She giggled as she thought of the person she was in love with. Then she shook her head at her own silliness.

Temari no Sabaku did _not_ giggle. It was undignified.

She laughed outright this time. That was something Shikamaru would say. He was so troublesome…

Gah, that stupid word! How many times had she smacked him for calling her troublesome? Silly cloud-watching man. She hoped he had given up on the smoking, because it really was bad for his health.

She knew he wouldn't have though. He had probably chain-smoked for an entire week after… the first time she had left. She had gone out an bought a pack of his favorite cigarettes and burnt them, just so she could smell the familiar scent of smoke.

She had missed him. She had missed him so much, she hadn't even realized it.

And now she had him back. He was hers again.

And this time, she wasn't letting anything get between them.


	14. Chapter 14

Awww, do you guys know how much I love all of you? I feel warm and fuzzy right now.

Oh, and just so everyone knows, Hinata's stuttering really bothers me, so I keep it to the barest minimum possible. I think that when people put too much stuttering into the writing, it gets extremely hard to read.

Yes, I know I sometimes write and talk like a guy, but that's because three of my best friends since birth are guys. Kierra and I were the only girls. We got used to being guys. Nothing boys say or do surprises me any more. Sigh…

And oh! I have a new story out! It's called "Blink And You'll Miss Me" and it's probably going to be long. Please read it, it would be muchly appreciated.

**Disclaimer:** How many times do I have to say this? I don't own Naruto, okay? I don't own anything of value that I might mention here. I'm broke, and now you've crushed my dreams. That's you soooooo much.

**Dedication: **To Dominique, because in total, she's given me hugs and 26 jars of cookies. What more could I ask for?! To Ronnie, because -seriously- what the hell would I do without you?! This story wouldn't even be here if I didn't have you!! To Alex, the loyal and dedicated friend she is. I love you all.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**((My ANs, just because I can.))**

_Song lyrics, or emphasis on certain words._

--

"Okay Ten Ten. I guess it's time to face the consequences' that I'm sure Hinata has planned. Let's go."

Ten Ten took a deep breath.

"Okay. Let's get this over with."

The two of them were standing outside their usually home.

Ten Ten pushed the door open.

It creaked a little, but other then that, nothing too dangerous happened. That meant nothing. Hinata had an evil, evil, evil, mind that concocted schemes to suck her victims dry during their sleep.

"That makes her sound like a vampire. C'mon Panda. I know she was mad, but that was almost a week ago."

"It was four days, twelve hours, forty-three minutes ago Kura. I don't think she'll have forgotten. This _is_ Hinata we're talking about."

"Hmm… Good point. Let's go get our faces smashed in by Anko for turning up earlier, and then our brains splattered all over the ground for setting Hinata up with Naruto."

"Ewww, Sakura no need to be so graphic."

"I am a graphic person. Now shush, this place is booby trapped…"

And then they got attacked with Hinata's special brand of knock-out smoke bombs.

The two of them dashed to the safety of the family room, before either of them inhaled even a little bit of the smoke.

"She's still mad."

"No shit, Sherlock. Told ya so."

"That's not the first time she's used that gas against you, is it?"

"Nope." Ten Ten nodded grimly. The stuff had knocked her out for a good six hours, and it had been horrible on her immune system. She had sick for days after it.

"Not to mention I screamed at her for a good long time after she used it on me. C'mon. Hinata Hyuuga has gone and made me grumpy."

Sakura laughed silently at Ten Ten's statement. When Ten Ten got grumpy, bad things happened. But when Hinata got grumpier, even worse things happened.

This was the beginning of a small war that would probably end in a pillow fight.

Strange, that was how all their fights seemed to end… They always ended up having pillows to beat their frustration out on each other…

And then someone smacked Sakura in the face with a pillow.

It was Hinata.

"Take that! And that, and that! That's for setting me up! _That's_ for not showing up earlier! _This_ is avoiding my smoke-bomb so perfectly! Dieee!!

Sakura grabbed a pillow from one of the couches, and smacked Hinata back.

"Look who's talking Sunshine! You tried to knock us out! Ten Ten, help me! If we gang up, we can stop her!"

KER-SMACK!

Sakura got a pillow right in the face for her lack of concentration.

"Hiyah!! Au-revoir, ma petite belle! Take that Hina-chan!"

Twenty minutes later, after all three of them were worn out, Hinata's cell rang. She flipped it open.

"Hey Hinata."

Naruto. Since she was over a phone, she didn't care how hard she blushed, and, as such, her head looked like I was on fire.

"H-hi Naruto."

Sakura and Ten Ten got evil, identical smirks on their lips.

"I was wondering, if you maybe wanted to hang out sometime?"

There was that dratted blush again. Annoying fair skin.

"I-I would love to!"

"Great! Then would right now work?"

"Ummm, how about in twenty minutes? I'm going to the park with Ten Ten and Sakura right now, we can meet you there!"

"Okay! I'll see you in a bit, alright? Bye!"

"Bye…"

Hinata hung up, her hands shaking, and Sakura and Ten Ten glomped her.

"OHMIGOD HINATA!! HE JUST ASKED YOU OUT!!" Sakura was ecstatic, and couldn't contain her glee. With these words, she grabbed Hinata and hugged her.

"WHHHEEEEEEEE!!" Apparently, Ten Ten was so happy, she couldn't speak.

"Wow. That's so great Hina-chan. Now, let's get to the park. Good thing it's not all that far from here."

Hinata nodded at Sakura's statement.

"Let's go!"

--

Kakashi was half asleep. He hadn't seen anyone in a while, and had thus decided that the best thing to do was wander. And wander he had. For four days. After the first night, he knew he couldn't sleep, so he didn't even try it.

He had been looking for something, someone he couldn't remember.

He hadn't slept in three days, and the complete over-exhaustion as getting to him. He had strained a muscle when he fell down a set of stairs, and after packing himself full of painkillers, off he went.

Actually, no. He had been looking for someone. Someone with purple hair, and a pretty smile. Someone he loved.

He just knew it was important to find her, and soon.

Before he passed out, anyways.

He vision swam woozily in front of his eyes.

He had been living of coffee and NOS and alcohol. So much caffeine plus the pain killers from yesterday couldn't have been helping him right at this moment. Plus, mixing alcohol with anything can kill a person.

He fell over, not even feeling how much it would probably hurt. He was going numb, dammit. Dying was not an option at this moment.

He had to find his precious people.

Someone was looming over him. Dark hair, skin so pale the dude should have been dead, blue and black clothing. His features were blurry, but Kakashi didn't need his eyes to know it was the Uchiha who was standing over him.

'Fucking bastard…' was his only thought before he passed out.

"Ass. Great now I have to carry this idiot. It's a good thing I found him. Damn, where's Naruto and Naruto's brute strength when you need it?"

He pulled his cell out of his pocket, and hit the speed dial on 2. Naruto's number showed up. Ring, ring, ring…

"Yo teme."

"Shut it dobe. I found him. I'm by that bar downtown."

"Good. I'll be there in a minute. Oh, someone's coming with me. She's been helping us look."

"Is it Sakura?" Sasuke hoped his voice didn't sound _too_ hopeful.

"Nope, it's someone you don't know. I met her through Ten Ten and Sakura. She's pretty cool. Oh, and I heard that hope in your voice. Oh, and I think Sakura and Ten Ten might be coming, as well. But only if you're lucky Sasu-teme!"

"I repeat -shut it dumbshit, I don't need to hear about my love life from you."

"Or lack there-of".

And the phone line went dead.

'Damnit, Naruto, I'm going to get you.'

But the thought of Sakura made him smile. Pink hair, sea-foam green eyes, a real smile. Nothing about Sakura was fake. He'd touched her hair before, and there was no way that it had ever been dyed any colour, ever.

And besides, her eye brows were pink as well.

Yes, he'd looked that close.

He had snuck into her room one night while she'd been sleeping, and had examined her for an hour and a half. He hadn't gotten tired of staring at her face, but, at the time, he'd had an aversion to touching her.

He hadn't wanted to taint something so pure and free.

But then he'd seen her in the kitchen, and he couldn't help himself. She'd looked so happy, so real and perfect that it hurt. And he'd wanted her. Right then, he'd wanted her to love him.

He shook himself of the thoughts, and carefully went towards Kakashi. He prodded the older man with his foot. The dude moaned and rolled over.

"Kakashi. Kakashi, are you alive in there?"

Sasuke kicked him.

Kakashi did nothing except groan.

"Damn, you really fucked yourself up, didn't you?"

Sasuke hunkered down to wait. Naruto was notorious for speeding, so he should be here in only a few minutes.

--

Sakura was staring out the window of the backseat of a silver viper -Naruto's car-, scenery passing by at an alarming rate. **((Yes, he jacked Kakashi's car. Did you expect him not to?))** Well, alarming for most normal people who didn't constantly speed on a motorcycle. Sakura didn't really like cars, had never really liked them, because they made her feel confined. This was of course, as long as they had roofs.

If the car in question was a convertible, she had no qualms about it.

She used them when she had to, escaping from a job, for example. But never more then that. She would rather ride Kaze and have the wind whipping through her hair.

Ten Ten was sitting across from Sakura. She, too, was staring out the window, but she kept sneaking looks at Hinata and Naruto in the front. She silently went 'SQUEEE!!'.

Sakura didn't have to hear her to know what she was thinking.

Naruto's hand was on the clutch, and Hinata's hand was on top of his.

"SQUEEEEE!!" was right!!

--

A few minutes later -it only seemed like eternities to Sakura- and they were deep in the dregs of downtown.

Sakura shivered. She hated it here. She'd lived down here long enough to know that no matter who you were, you were never safe. Young girls got raped and killed along these streets all the time. Teenage boys went missing, drawn into gang warfare. Women and men standing along the roadside were either prostitutes, or beggars.

She swore to herself she would never let it happen to herself or anyone she cared about.

She could see Ten Ten staring off into the distance. She didn't have to look to know. The old factory where the girl had worked for a good part of her life stood there. Sakura knew how much Ten Ten wanted to burn it down.

Hinata and Naruto were still holding hands.

The little indigo-haired girl felt his hand tighten around hers. She looked up at him, concern evident in her eyes. He smiled grimly, and tugged her towards a dingy bar.

Sakura and Ten Ten followed closely behind, and both of them had their guards up. Sakura was ready to pull out her hidden pair of guns, and Ten Ten was just as ready to pull out daggers and get to slicing people up.

"Teme! There you are. We need to get him out of here. Damn, he looks fucked up. Did he tell you what he had?"

"No, but I can take a good guess. He smells like alcohol, so he's probably had a lot of that, and knowing Kakashi, he's also probably had enough caffeine to keep him going. He doesn't look like he's slept. And I found these in his pocket."

Sasuke tossed a bottle to Naruto. The blonde hissed.

"Damnit, if he's had painkillers… Teme, we have to get him home, or we are _screwed._"

"You think I don't know that? What did you bring?"

"The viper, but that'll be six of us. I'm driving, you're too slow, so you get to take care of Kakashi. I don't trust Kakashi with Hinata, so she's sitting in the front with me. Sakura can sit on you, Ten Ten on one side, and Kakashi on the other. I don't trust Kakashi with females even when he's this fucked up."

Sasuke inclined his head.

"Get in the car."

The dark-haired teenager's command did not go over quite the way he planned. But then again, nothing ever went _quite_ the way Sasuke Uchiha planned it to go.

Ten Ten glared at him severely, something she had picked up from Neji.

"_Don't_ tell me what to do, Uchiha."

Another habit she had picked up. She snarled at him, and jerked her head in the direction of the car.

They all got in, careful not to jostle Kakashi.

Naruto shook his head. Damn. They had to get him to the infirmary, so Shino could fix whatever the hell was wrong with him.

He started the ignition, and turned on the music. The song that came on was almost perfect. It was the song Artist in the Ambulance, by Thrice.

_Late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal  
Red light, can't stop so I spin the wheel  
My world goes black before I feel an angel lift me up  
And I open bloodshot eyes into fluorescent white  
They flip the siren, hit the lights, close the doors and I am gone_

_Now I lay here owing my life to a stranger  
And I realize that empty words are not enough  
I'm left here with the question of just  
What have I to show except the promises I never kept?  
I lie here shaking on this bed, under the weight of my regrets_

_I hope that I will never let you down  
I know that this can be more than just flashing lights and sound_

_Look around and you'll see that at times it feels like no one really cares  
It gets me down but I'm still gonna try to do what's right, I know that there's  
A difference between sleight of hand, and giving everything you have  
There's a line drawn in the sand, I'm working up the will to cross it and_

The lyrics made him shiver. It was ominous, a warning. He increased his speed. They didn't have much time…

--


	15. Chapter 15

Gah, I can't help it

Gah, I can't help it. This story is my favorite to write, because I have lots of evil ideas, and lots of people to test them on! (Ronnie, Alex, this usually doesn't include you, as both of you usually know what's going to happen first anyways…)

I don't know why, but I've been in the BEST mood recently. All I've wanted to do is write! Be happy, it means I update faster; but I also need encouragement. That means REVIEWS!! Please? For me? Oh! And I stole Chevy's super-awesome 1920's goggles! They are INTENSE!!

Oh, I know that I'm putting a lot of music in here, but that's because without music, I would die. It is as simple as that. The song for Anko here was Tongue Tied, by Faber Drive.

Oh, someone told me that this was the most original story they've ever read. I can't remember who it was, but I must say, I'm totally flattered!!

AND WE'RE FINALLY GONNA FIND OUT WHO TOBI IS (in the manga)!! I love Tobi, so much.

**Disclaimer:** As if I owned anything other then this plot line.

**Dedication:** To Ronnie, as ever, because without her, I probably would be even emo-er then I already am. Sigh. To Alex, because she's STILL stuck in the hospital, and I know how much you need entertainment honey. Don't worry too much about it. We all love you Alex darling!!

* * *

Sasuke was clutching Sakura like a lifeline. He would occasionally tilt his head enough to see Kakashi, his head lolling on his shoulder. He tightened his grip on her waist.

"Sasuke, you have to loosen your grip a little. You're starting to hurt me." Sakura's voice was gentle and soft, but the interior of the car was so quiet it made her voice seem loud.

Kakashi groaned and turned over.

Everyone turned towards him (except Naruto, who watched him through the rearview mirror), and held their breath, but he didn't stir again.

His breathing was labored and erratic, and Sakura didn't have the heart to tell Sasuke and the others she didn't think he'd make it.

Sasuke was murmuring under his breath.

"C'mon Kakashi, you ass. If you die on us now, I'm never going to forgive you. You stupid idiot, what drove you to do something like this, you know how dangerous it is…"

Sakura did the only thing she could to quiet him. She carefully pressed a finger to his lips, and shook her head at him. She bent towards his ear, her finger still over his lips, the tips of her fingers tingling at the contact.

"Sasuke, shhhh, it's not the time to be talking. Just let him rest. As long as he keeps breathing, everything will be fine."

He nodded mutely, her breath on his ear rendering him thoughtless and worriless. **((Sorry Rich! I know how much you hate it when I do that to you! XD))**

Hinata's fingers were linked through Naruto's. She was warm and safe, but she was worried about the man in the back called Kakashi. If he'd actually had as much as they said they had (she had seen the pills Naruto had tucked into his pocket –they were codeine-) then there wasn't much hope for him.

She didn't want to break it to the rest of the car. It was silent as a grave in there, and she didn't want to disturb that hanging-on-a-thread-of-hope tension.

She shivered, goose bumps raising the hair on her arms. Naruto turned an eye to her small form. He didn't even consider it; he dropped his jacket over her small shoulders. She looked up at him, wonder and wordless thanks in her eyes. He stared at her for a moment, enjoying the way her eyes lit up like lanterns, before turning his attention back to the road.

The leather jacket dwarfed her, but it was the best thing Hinata had ever worn. The inside was soft and warm, considering Naruto had just been wearing it. It smelled like heaven, and Hinata was pretty sure that if it was possible, she was one day going to die from blood rushing to brain too fast.

She curled into it, and closed her eyes. Quietly, the slow, soft breaths of deep sleep came over her prone form, and she thought no more.

Sasuke, on the other hand, could not ignore what had just happened. Naruto had just handed over his jacket. His _leather_ jacket. The one he never let _anyone_ other then himself wear. It was the one that had nearly been stolen, and then had been retrieved, at the death of several hundred people. Yes, it was _that_ important.

And someone else was wearing it.

Someone, namely a dark haired little girl with Neji's eyes. She was tiny, it was true. She couldn't have been over 5'3, and Naruto, who stood at 6'1, was almost a foot taller then she was. It was kinda funny, actually.

But still!

She was wearing _the_ jacket. That could only mean one thing…

* * *

Anko closed her eyes, and curled in closer to her bed. She didn't want to get up.

Her alarm clock (little bastard that it was…) clicked on, and started up the radio. She kept her eyes closed, but listened for a second or so.

_Bright cold silver moon  
Tonight alone in my room  
You were here just yesterday  
Slight turn of the head  
Eyes down when you said  
I guess I need my life to change  
Seems like something's just aren't the same  
What could I say?_

_I need a little more luck than a little bit  
Cuz every time I get stuck the words won't fit  
And every time that I try I get tongue tied  
I'll need a little good luck to get me by_

_I need a little more help than a little bit  
Like the perfect one word no one's heard yet  
Cuz every time that I try I get tongue tied  
I need a little good luck to get me by this time_

_I stare up at the stars  
I wonder just where you are  
You feel a million miles away  
(I wonder just where you are)  
Was it something I said?  
Or something I never did?  
Or was I always in the way?  
Could someone tell me what to say to just make you stay?_

She threw it across the room, and felt highly reminiscent of an angered Sakura in the morning.

At least she had a reason other then simple, mindless violence against anything that woke her up. That song was too reminiscent of what was going on right at this moment.

It hurt.

It hurt a lot. She didn't want to open her eyes; she didn't want her heart to beat anymore. She just wanted everything to _stop_. Someone came up behind her, and left something next to her. Probably food. She didn't want it.

She hadn't eaten in four days.

Just outside, both Temari and Karin looked in, concerned over her state.

"If she doesn't eat soon, she's going to die." Temari's almost-silent whisper broke the house of its somber state of mind.

"Maybe she wants to die." Karin's whisper was just as quiet.

"What?!"

Karin pointed towards the door. Temari followed her out without question.

This, however, did not extend as soon as they were out of the house. She exploded.

"What do you mean, she _wants_ to die?!"

"I'm just saying Temari. Think about it. When you lost Shikamaru for the first time, I remember that you wanted to die. You were depressed for literally _weeks_, and nothing shook you out of it. Anko's going through a breakup and, by the looks of it, it was probably to someone she really loved. Anko would never purposefully put us in danger. That's why she made you leave Shikamaru."

Karin continued.

"So that's why it doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is a breakup. Don't play stupid Temari; this isn't rocket science."

"Yes, that's true. Rocket science is easier."

Karin let out a bark of laughter.

"So, what do you want to do? You gonna stay here, or am I?"

"I will, especially considering you've been taking care of her for the better part of the last week."

"Okay, I'm going for a walk. I need to get out of here."

And so Karin left, her crimson hair swinging behind her.

Temari snorted. That girl could _not_ control her hair. She crossed her arms over her chest with a snort. She had no right to talk.

She turned back into the house, and made her way to Anko's room. The woman she looked up to as a mother and elder sister was still curled up in a tight ball. Temari quietly went over to her, and sat down next to her.

"Anko, is there anything you want?"

Anko was desperate. She said the only thing she really wanted right at that moment.

"Kakashi."

"You want Kakashi? Who's Kakashi?"

"Kakashi."

"Okay, I'm going to go find him."

She slipped out of the room, and back outside. She could search on her own, but it made sense to call someone first.

She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, and considered. She could call Sakura, or Ten Ten, or Hinata. She decided on Sakura, as the girl had plenty of espionage experience.

Ring, ring, ring…

"Temari, what is it?"

Temari smiled. Sakura could hear it in her voice when she spoke.

"Y'know, I'm really glad I know you."

"Okay, what is it you want?"

"I need you to help me find someone."

"Okay, who?"

"And no, this isn't for me. It's for Anko. She's getting worse. The person we need is called Kakashi. She just keeps asking for him."

The blood drained out of Sakura's face.

"Tema, I'll call you back in a bit, alright? We'll be home soon."

"Fine. Something's up, isn't it?"

Sakura said nothing, and the line went dead.

Temari shook her head at Sakura's sudden departure. Something had thrown the normally level-headed girl off. Thrown her for a loop, as it were.

Temari shivered as a gust of cold wind blew past her. She took a deep breath, and shuddered.

"There's something evil on the wind… Better get inside while I still have the chance."

And so she slipped inside the house, and went to start her research.

* * *

Karin was sitting in a field of sunflowers. The sun was shining, it was warm, and she really had no qualms about the world at this moment.

She flopped down, and stared up at the deep blue sky. No clouds, nothing to inhibit the view. It was nice. Calm. Something she hadn't felt recently.

Well, considering everything that had happened recently, there was reason for it!

With Anko being so hurt, and with Temari finally letting go, and with that boy.

That beautiful, beautiful boy. The one with the intense eyes. She hadn't forgotten him.

Oh, please, like Karin Fukumoto would have ever forgotten anything as important as that.

Still staring at the sky, she closed her eyes. She was so tired.

So tired…

And slipped into a deep, untroubled sleep. And as such, she didn't notice the gray-ish-blue haired boy walking through the field. It was beyond where she could see, anyways.

And then, stupid idiot that he was, he nearly tripped over her.

Suigetsu couldn't believe his eyes. The girl who was lying snoozing in sun right in front of him was the girl he'd been looking for. The one he'd been looking for, for days now. Almost a week (please remember, Suigetsu's attention span is the same as a gnat's…).

He knelt down at her side, and did something so corny, he was never going to forgive himself.

He kissed her, and thought something along the lines of 'Ha, Sleeping Beauty… too bad her name's not Aurora…'

Karin slapped him.

Well, if you're not used to it, and you wake up with someone right up in your face, what would _you_ do?! That was her defense for her actions, anyways…

"Oh! Suigetsu! I'm sorry!"

She helped him up, and for the few seconds that they stared at each other, nothing happened.

And then he swept her up in his arms, swung her around, and kissed her like there was no tomorrow.


	16. Chapter 16

Hi everyone

Hi everyone! I hoped you liked that last chapter! It took a lot out of me, and now my computer crashed, and I'm not in a very happy place right now. So let's see, where were we… Oh! Right! We'd just had another reunion, and both Kakashi and Anko are hanging on for dear life! Riiiight….

Oh, and when I was writing Sasuke's day-dream bit, I was in the middle of CALM class, and I was trying SO HARD not to kill myself laughing. XD

Oh, Ronnie? If anything I write (medically speaking) is wrong, please tell me, because you're the only source I know of that would be able to correct me. And yes, I know I didn't kill Kakashi off; I couldn't. I love him far too much.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, to my very great sorrow.

**Dedication:** As always, to Ronnie and Alex. I don't even need to give you two a reason anymore, do I? You're just that special. Oh! To my two Aneues (my two little sisters), Emma and Shanna-baka-chan!

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**((My incredible ANs that own the world))**

_Emphasis on certain words, or music lyrics_

* * *

Sakura was so pale, Sasuke thought that she might have fainted with her eyes open. Then he realized that that phenomenon wasn't quite possible, so he shook her a little.

But she ignored him. Ouch.

"Hinata, we have to get home. Right the fuck now."

The small jerked out of the deep sleep she'd been in a minute ago at Sakura's voice.

"W-what? Why? What's going on?"

"It's Anko."

Kakashi stirred after Sakura said 'Anko'.

"Anko… wher's Anko…?" Kakashi's voice was so soft that only Sakura heard anything more then a mumble.

Sakura let out a slightly freaked out sigh. Damn it, how could she tell Ten Ten and Hinata what she wanted them to know without jeopardizing everything that they had worked for?

Sasuke turned to look at Kakashi. Had he just said something? No, probably not. It was probably one of the fevered dreams the man was having due to overdose on pretty much everything he loved best.

Sasuke realized that if Sakura kept whitening the way she was, she might actually faint.

That was a funny mental picture. Sakura would sway, her long, girly lashes fluttering closed, and then –suddenly, somehow that didn't really make sense- they would be in the middle of a field of flowers, and he would kiss her, and then…

He wanted to smack himself in the face, because he was pretty sure his face was turning a beautiful, previously undiscovered shade of puce.

This was _not_ the time for that!!

And, to Sasuke's great surprise, Sakura started to sway, but she steadied herself.

"Naruto, drop us off at the park where you picked us up. We need to get home."

Naruto complied, taking care t not jostle Hinata as he moved her hand off his own.

Then he slammed the clutch forwards, locked the brakes, and let the Viper spin out on its own. He let it coast for a second or so, and then drifted around a corner, with no care to the near-death of the clutch in his hand.

Now, if you've even been in a drifting car, you know that it can be… bumpy. But then again, it can also be very smooth.

But this is Naruto we're talking about. He doesn't do _smooth_. He does rough, dangerous, fast to a point of break-neck speed. He jerked the clutch forwards as he hit the brakes, and just let the wheels spin.

When Kakashi woke up and realized that his car was ruined, there would be hell to pay.

Ten Ten was holding on for dear life. It was too dangerous to let go. She had to wonder how Hinata was still asleep, because the car was jerking this way and that, and it was sorta scary.

They were speeding, because Naruto wanted to drop the girls off, and he wanted to get Kakashi safely away before anything else could happen to him. The place the girls wanted to be dropped off was on the way, so it wasn't much of a detour to let them off.

Hinata didn't know whether to give the jacket back or not. She was about to take it off, and hand it back to Naruto, but he held up a hand a shook his head.

"We need to get Kakashi home. Besides, it's cold out here, and you can give it back the next time you see me."

Sasuke, who had already jumped into the front seat, flailed for a moment, before realizing that Naruto had _finally_ settled down. Sasuke smirked, because he knew that as soon as he revealed this to the love-struck man, Naruto would bluster about it not being true, and then succumb to incoherent mutterings.

Probably not the best thing to happen while he's driving, so Sasuke decided to refrain from telling him until they got Kakashi back to the house.

As soon as they were gone, Sakura turned towards a giddy Hinata, and a seriously scared Ten Ten.

"Anko's taken a turn for the worse. She keeps asking for Kakashi. _Kakashi_. Do you realize what this means?"

"That Anko's completely out of her mind?" Ten Ten couldn't help murmuring under her breath.

"_No_, Ms. Ten Ten! It means that the reason she's out of her head in heart-broken pain is because of Kakashi! And it means that if we don't get them back together soon, they _both_ might die!!"

Hinata tilted her head at Sakura.

"And how did you come to this conclusion?"

"Think about it! Sasuke said that no one had seen Kakashi in _four_ days! Anko's been like this for _four_ days! There is _no_ way that this is a coincidence; it's too interlinked to be a coincidence. Now we've got to figure out how to get them back together!!"

"Sakura?" Hinata was going to venture into dangerous territory with her next comment, and she knew it. "Did you remember to take your meds today?"

Sakura glared at her, and then relented as Hinata got serious.

"Well, if Sakura's onto something, then I suppose we should get to work on getting them together. How are we going to get Anko out of the house?"

"Easy. We tell her we know where Kakashi is, and she'll follow us anywhere." Sakura was sure of herself. This _needed_ to happen, not just because of her and Sasuke, or Ten Ten and Neji, or Hinata and Naruto. It needed to happen for Anko.

They _all_ needed this.

A shiver wracked her body, and stared up at the sky. The clouds were curdling, and they looked like thick, spoiled milk.

Sakura pointed towards the sky, at the strange clouds, and the over-all morbidity in the air.

"There's more to this then we've been given credit for. Have you noticed? The sky's not been happy in a good long time. This cannot be a good omen. I hate to sound superstitious, but there's something _bad_ going on, and it's not a bad I have the inclination to face head on.

She nodded at Ten Ten and Hinata, and the two women zipped towards the car, and got in. Sakura got on her bike, and they left at the same time, in different directions, to make sure they weren't followed.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the boys got Kakashi in the house.

"Damn, damn, double damn. Sasuke, go get Neji and Shikamaru, we need help. And bring Shino, because I think he's the only one who can save Kakashi now."

Sasuke nodded, and dashed through the house, calling names.

Rushing footsteps came from all over, and Sasuke smirked in satisfaction.

"Did you find him?!" Neji's voice went frantic as he saw the condition Kakashi's body was in.

Naruto tossed him the little bottle of painkillers.

"He smells like alcohol, and, knowing Kakashi, he probably hasn't slept, which means caffeine."

Neji hissed, almost exactly the same way Naruto had.

"Dammit, Shino! Get your ass over here, and fix him now!"

Shino raced in, Shikamaru hot on his heels. He blanched as soon as he saw Kakashi lying there, and was glad he had the sense to grab his medical bag.

Kakashi had started to shake.

"Crap. Heart palpitations, pupil dilation, tremors… how long has he been like this?"

"Well, he only just started shaking a minute ago…"

"Good." Shino sighed after he said this.

"I may still be able to save him. Get the man into my lab, immediately, and do _not_, under any circumstances, jostle him. It may very well keep him alive."

Sasuke nodded at Shino's words, and jerked his head at Neji and Naruto, who complied without question. This was dangerous, too dangerous, because Kakashi's life hung in the balance, and if nothing was done, he was sure to die.

The carried him down one flight of stairs, and placed him –gently, gently- on Shino's lab table. This all had to be done quickly, and it was, but there was an eerie silence that hung in the air. Nobody spoke, and after they had set him down, nobody moved.

They were all waiting, waiting, waiting, to see if Shino could fix the broken body lying before them.

After slipping on a white lab coat, he carefully began.

It was too dangerous to inject him with anything that might actually save his life, because at the moment, it could kill him. So he worked carefully, quietly, cautiously.

Hours later (or maybe it was days –Shino really had no idea how much time passed-) he judged that he could save the man.

Several injections and many tense minutes later, Kakashi's breathing let up. His lungs had been starting to collapse, and would have crushed his heart had they been just a little later in getting him home. His liver had nearly been ready to give out on him, but Shino had been able to drain the alcohol in his blood in time.

He let the lab, and went out into the makeshift waiting room, where all the rest of Sharingan were gathered. They all looked at him, expecting the worse.

"He'll live. But we can't let him near alcohol, or caffeine for that matter, for a good long time. His liver was going to give out on him, and his lungs were close to killing him. He's asleep now, so leave it that way; his body needs the rest."

A unanimous sigh of relief was released from all present.

Let the idiocy begin.

"Damn Shino, you've gotten better."

The man in question glared at the speaker (consequently Naruto).

"I've not gotten 'better' as you so delicately put it Naruto. I've simply had a chance to use my formidable skills to save a life. I didn't spend my entire childhood reading my late father's medical books for nothing."

Naruto glared at him before answering. Naruto did not like being slighted anymore then anyone else; he was after all, a teenage male.

"Shino, just because you're smarter then the rest of us, excusing Shikamaru, does _not_ mean you can rub it in our faces!"

Shino merely smirked, before ordering them all upstairs.

While Kakashi's body was out of order, his hearing wasn't. His ears had not been damaged, and Shino didn't want to have to put "Damaged by Naruto's stupidity" on the list. **((Wow, the things I think up…))**

They all retreated upstairs without much of Shino's prodding. Kakashi needed rest, and the best thing they could do for him right now was leave him alone.

When he woke up, he would ask for what he required to survive. This was the best way to go about it, and so they all left him alone, even Shino, because he insisted on the importance of _everyone_ leaving the silver-haired man alone.

Shino closed the door behind him (as he was the last one to leave) with a strange finality. Not a bad finality, a finality that spoke of freedom, and choosing, and hope for the future.

* * *


	17. Chapter 17

Wow. Here we go again. I'm so exhausted, but I have to get this up, even though Brynn kinda ordered me to get some rest. Sigh… Oh! Next chapter should be SO TOTALLY AWESOME!! Yaaaayyy….

Well, everything's gonna get a little better this chapter. Have fun! My inspiration left me (TT.TT) but now it is back!! BOW TO IT!! BOW I SAY!!

**Disclaimer:** Ha-ha. I seriously wish.

**Dedication:** To Ronnie, because her awesomely long reviews have spoiled me! Bad girl, bad! XD I still love you!

"Talking"  
'Thinking'  
**((My ANs, meant to amuse, or when I think I'm being funny.))  
**_Emphasis on certain words, or song lyrics._

* * *

Sakura, tense and white, shook Anko.

Hard.

"Anko! Dammit woman, wake the fuck up!"

Anko blearily opened her eyes, to see a very worried Sakura standing over her.

"G-go away… I just want to… be alone… I-I'm s-so hor-r-rible… h-how could I… K-Kakashi… "

Her voice, usually so adamant, so powerful, was frail as a butterfly's wing. It was so soft and _so weak_, it made Sakura feel ill.

Anko was not _weak_.

A silent sob shook the purple-haired woman lying before them, and Tenten grimaced at Sakura. What they were about to do was going to hurt all of them.

Sakura was having none of this _weakness_. Even thinking the hated word made her want to spit the disgusting taste out of he mouth. She clenched her jaw, and spoke, her normally warm, lilting voice a hard melody made of steel.

"Anko, get up. Now. I will not have you murder yourself over a man. You've always forced us to stand on our own two feet, and you've always taught us to never let a male have so much control over our hearts that we lose control. Look at yourself. You're lying there, like you have a _choice_."

Tenten's voice, cold as ice, came from behind the rosette.

"She's right Anko, get up. None of us want you to die. It's not like this is affecting just _you._ Stop being so selfish."

Hinata gently put her hand on Anko's shoulder.

"Anko, please. We know where Kakashi is. Please, get out of bed, and come with us."

At the word "Kakashi" Anko perked up. They… found him?! How was that possible? How did they even know about him?

Hinata answered her unasked question.

"Anko, you were talking in your sleep. You were completely delirious, so that's the reason you don't remember it. Now, please… We don't have much. He's dying too, you see."

Anko shivered, and stayed stock still for a moment.

Then she jumped up, her eyes wild, and an insane light lit deep within them. She didn't ay anything, just gestured towards the door.

Hinata sighed, and pulled her towards the bathroom. She needed to get the trembling woman cleaned up, and nothing was going to get done if they left now.

She tossed an exasperated look at Sakura and Tenten, both of whom were leaning against the far wall coolly. They were _not_ happy with Anko, _or_ her for that matter, right now.

They wanted to show her what she could do to a person, but Hinata wanted to get Anko looking at least half human.

A shower, a clean pair of jeans, and a white halter top later, and Anko was looking (and feeling) like a new woman (even if she _was_ slightly doped up on painkillers). **((Ironic, no?))** After Hinata pulled her usual tan jacket on Anko's shoulder, she allowed an impatient Sakura and Tenten to push Anko out the door.

Hinata went with them, just in case the boys needed distraction. She had a feeling they would be hungry, and since none of them could cook, what better thing to get them out of the way?

Sakura shoved a very doped-up Anko into the back of Ino's Mustang. It was the biggest, and they needed the space to let Anko lie down. She then jumped into the driver's seat without even looking at Tenten.

Tenten understood Sakura's need to drive, and didn't comment. There was too much at stake.

There were two too many lives at stake, to be precise.

Despite that understanding, it didn't stop Tenten from clenching her hands into fists as Sakura left the driveway at the speed of light.

It was hard to control herself, Tenten thought, as Sakura slammed the wheel this way and that. It was hard to stop herself from shoving Sakura out of the front seat and into the back seat, so that in possibly killing Sakura, she would save her own life, Hinata's life, _and_ Anko's life.

As soon as this thought occurred to her, she felt sick with herself, and she shook the thought away.

'No need to get catty on us, girl child. You know how well Sakura drives. Even when she's on a murderous rampage, she's still able to keep us alive' Tenten warned herself.

They were at the Sharingan mansion twenty minutes later.

Now, to plan out how to get in without attracting notice… It really was a good thing Sakura and Tenten had so little when it came to ethics.

* * *

It was dark out.

The clouds had curdled and blackened. There was nothing nice about the weather. Actually, it was really gross out.

And they were leaving it outside, thank god. Tenten and Hinata had gone in half an hour earlier, to distract the boys with the thought of food.

Sakura was carrying a totally-out-of-it Anko. At Hinata's scream of "Naruto!" Sakura knew it was okay to get in.

Slip through the grate, dash down the hall, slide down the stairs, and get into Shino's lab. She knew that's the only place they would leave him. Kakashi's room was about as far as physically possible from the med lab, so they probably would have left him in there.

'Get through the last door, pull Anko with me, make sure no one's around… There we go.'

And with this last thought, Sakura picked the lock in Shino's lab. She shoved Anko in before her, and quietly closed the door.

Anko just stood there, her eyes the size of dinner plates.

"K-Kakashi…"

And then she threw herself at him.

This wasn't surprising, nor was it surprising that Kakashi woke up. The sudden impact that was Anko Mitarashi would probably have woken the dead.

He seemed a little confused for a moment, before he realized that Anko was lying in his arms, kissing every part of him she could reach and murmuring under her breath.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please, please, please forgive me…"

She repeated this, and Kakashi silenced her by kissing her full on the mouth.

Apparently this appeased them both.

Sakura turned away (on the pretence of checking their surroundings) to give the two reunited lovebirds some privacy.

This, however, did not last long. Sakura was wary. If they made too much noise, that would bring someone down to check on Kakashi. If Sakura was lucky, it would be either Hinata and Tenten. If she was unlucky (and this is what she was counting on), it would be one of the boys.

She turned to face Kakashi and Anko, before closing her eyes, her face the colour of a tomato. She did _not_ need to see that_ ever_ again.

But the image of Kakashi and Anko sucking face was burned into her lids. She had an urge to run around screaming "IT BURNS US!! IT BUUUUUURRRRNNNNNS USSSSS!!"

She reigned in the urge, but, keeping her eyes closed, she softly spoke to Anko.

"Anko, we need to go. There isn't time for this. Just give him the number, leave it on the table, and then we'll leave. You'll see him again, but right now is _not_ the time."

Anko carefully extracted herself from Kakashi's twining arms. He, apparently, did not want to let her go. She, too, wanted to snuggle into him, and never, ever, ever let him go.

But this was part of the job description. Sigh.

She stood up, and Sakura was please to see (after she had opened her eyes) the light in Anko's eyes. There was something peaceful about it, something sad that had finally been quelled by the power of… Kakashi?

'Weird. Who knew?' though Sakura, but she couldn't hide a smile behind her hand.

So Sakura grabbed the purple-haired female whom she considered family, and dashed out the door.

Out of the lab, zip up the stairs, zoom through the hall, up the grate, out into the courtyard, run to the car, shove Anko into the back seat, jump into passenger seat (as Tenten was liable to kill her if she had to deal with another minute of her driving (Sakura smirked at this)), pull out cell phone, and quickly text Hinata.

Inside, Hinata's cell sang out. She read the text, and then turned, with a sigh, to Tenten.

"Damn, Sakura's here. Time to go, girlie."

Tenten nodded, and then placed the plate of food she'd been holding on the counter.

It had startled her, how much Hinata could do in the kitchen, given an hour. She scribbled a quick little note to Neji, placed it next to the food, and the two girls skipped out of the room together.

Neji, who knew something odd was going on, slipped into the kitchen, to find it empty. He caught sight of Tenten's note, and read through it quickly.

"_**Neji,**_

_**Sorry, emergency, had to leave. Will be back later.**_

_**Love, Tenten & Hinata"**_

He swore, and ran out towards the courtyard, only to see a black mustang smoothly leaving the place. He swore again, before slowly walking back into the house.

There was nothing he could do now but wait.

* * *

Tenten's breathing was irregular as they got back into the car. Sakura was sitting in the passenger seat, smiling beatifically. Despite the angelic nature of the smile, Tenten could see Sakura was smug about something.

She didn't need to think about it long. She shot a quick glance at Anko, who was smiling blissfully.

Ah. Obviously, Sakura had managed to get Anko back on her feet. Or rather, she had managed to get Anko and Kakashi together, without anyone noticing.

Damn, she was getting better.

And, as if to prove this point, Sakura smirked smugly.

"Yes, Yes I did get them together. It was happy for them, scary as all hell for me."

Sakura blanched as she said this, as if remembering a particularly unpleasant moment in time. Tenten laughed at Sakura's face. If was not often someone had the ability to scare Sakura Haruno so thoroughly.

Hinata was murmuring softly to Anko, who seemed to be answering just as quietly. And then Anko's voice rang out, strong and true.

"Put some damn music on. I'm goin' crazy back here!"

Sakura, Tenten and Hinata all looked at each other for a moment, before they started laughing.

Even when incapacitated, Anko was Anko.

Sakura flicked on some music.

She Wants Revenge flowed through the speakers. Rachael. How apropos.

_There's a poem that she wrote  
And hid under the mattress,  
And if you find it please leave it alone.  
With a picture she took of a girl on the subway,  
With orange barrettes  
And the saddest face she's ever known.  
As Rachael starts to wonder  
Was it hers to begin with,  
Or was the memory from someone else's sleep.  
Cause there's a hole in her heart  
That still harbors a question,  
Whose answer just might break it  
So she's hanging on.  
At least it's hers to keep.  
So I asked her:_

_"What if this does not belong to you,  
And all the things you thought were true  
Turned out to just be someone else's lies"  
Baby this does not belong to you,  
This does not belong to you.  
This does not belong to you._

Anko fell asleep, her head on Hinata's shoulder. It was late, and she was tired. And besides. Rachael was a good song to sleep to.

Then again, with the bass pounding the way it was, not really, but Anko was so tired, it didn't matter quite that much right at this moment.

With the city lights passing over them, the distance between one of the few places they considered home and them grew shorter with every passing second.

The light flashed over Hinata's face, reflecting off her hair, her eyes, her skin. She smiled a little, and let herself drift off into a deep sleep.

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

A smirk touched Sakura's lips

Anko's back to normal, Kakashi's back to normal, and everyone is screwed over. Enter Operation Oro-chan! Bwahaha, Sara has turned into the "Evil Bitch Queen, Empress and Ruler for Life, Overlady of all things Cliff-hanger-ish!"

If yuou all hate me, I don't blame you. XD

**Disclaimer:** Ya, no. I don't own jack shit. (Except the plot line to this story, and if you steal it, I will hunt you down and rip your balls off. Yes Richard, I am speaking to you.)

**Dedication:** As ever, to Ronnie. Hey! You actually made first reviewer this time! GLOMP! Oh, and to Tilders, because she agrees with me, that this story is so much better then "Blink And You'll Miss Me". Yes, I am totally biased.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**((My ANs, should I decide to put any in.))**

_Emphasis on certain words, or song lyrics_

--

A smirk touched Sakura's lips. It was good to be back on the job.

Nimble, slender (coincidentally gloved) fingers touched, tapped, knew the glass' composition in seconds. A small glass cutter was drawn out of a hidden pocket.

Zing. Zing. …There.

She pressed the glass out, careful not to drop it, careful not to touch the edges. They were sharp, after all, and it wouldn't do to get cut and bleed all over the place now. Too much at stake.

"Sakura, we don't have time for this! Switch them, now!" Anko's voice crackled to life.

Sigh.

The woman was still –even now, after a serious illness– a hard ass. She'd only been really normal for the better part of the last two days.

And they were already back to work. Six days later, and here she was, lifting a priceless diamond ring, necklace, and earring set.

She held the original up, admiring the way it caught and threw the dim light in all directions. She stayed like that for precious seconds.

A growl crackled in her ear.

Sakura laughed silently, but kept her face straight. No smile for _this_ fake-blond, fake-brown-eyed thief.

She almost let herself snarl as she thought of Ino's smirking face as she had held up the bottle of wash-out fake blond dye. It wasn't the fact that it was blond -wait, no, it was the fact that it was blond.

Stupid Ino.

She sighed as a bit of stringy blond hair swung out of its cap and into her face. It would wash out, but still! It was _blond. Ino _was the blond! Not _her!_

'_Never_ me' vowed Sakura silently. Fake blondes annoyed her.

Grarg.

She slinked towards the door, careful to avoid that sad little camera. It was good to be safe, even though she knew Temari had rigged it hours ago.

Ahhh, to have a genius as a sister. Then, a shiver wracked her body.

Somebody was watching her.

Somebody who understood thievery, understood it's inner workings enough to avoid Temari's rigged cameras.

Bastard.

After stashing the real diamonds in her suit, she carefully pulled out the pair of daggers in the hemming in her clothes. If she was going down, she'd take whoever the hell it was with her.

Anko's voice was suddenly frantic in her ear.

"Cherry, we've been hack-" the soothing voice cut out.

Damn, damn, double damn.

"Heh… Catch me if you can!" Sakura called out to the empty air, and dashed towards the exit that led to the roof.

She knew she had to get out, get as far away from here a physically possible. One murder was bad, but a violent double murder (with no witnesses) on top of a previously robbed museum? That was even worse.

And if they so much as dunked her in water, her pink hair would give Karin away.

And if Karin was found out, there would be hell to pay.

Further… just a little further…

There!

As she got on the roof, she took a deep breath of icy, mind numbing air. She dashed to the edge of the building, and jumped.

Because she knew, instinctively almost, that the other person was still following her. She didn't need to be a psychic to know that much.

As she landed, she rolled as she'd been taught (it was a very good technique to avoid breaking a leg or two). She tore the brown contacts out of her eyes as her getting-blurrier-and-blurrier-with-every-passing-nanosecond vision returned to normal.

She wanted to sigh in relief, but she just kept running. Another building, another jump, keep running. Rinse and repeat. And repeat, and repeat.

She knew she wouldn't lose him in the black darkness that surrounded them, and a nagging voice in the back of her mind told her she might not live to see her family ever again.

Fuck, fuck, fuckitty fuck.

"Get back here, you bitch!"

That voice, she knew that voice… where had she heard it before…?

'No, that doesn't matter now. MOVE!!' was her only thought as she dodged and, finally –twelve blocks away– turned to face the man who had followed her all this way.

He reminded her of Sasuke, in a way. Sasuke had promised to follow her to the ends of the Earth, and this man had done just that.

Sakura was sad she couldn't see the dark-haired boy she'd come to adore, because she knew –right that second– that she wasn't leaving this night unscathed.

The bastard was too good to let her get away unhurt, or she'd have lost him long ago.

They were standing on opposite sides of the building's roof. Neither moved.

Sakura mentally sighed as she outwardly glared at him (fairly fiercely, she was proud to admit). Another useless thief code.

'Two enemy thieves meet, neither attacks until one or the other blinks, or looks away.'

Stupid rules.

He blinked.

Hah. Idiot.

But still, her training wouldn't let her move a muscle. It was dishonorable to attack when neither combatant had actually declared a fight was to be had.

Sakura could still remember that day. When Anko had told her this one little rule, she had laughed, so hard. Thieves with honour? That was impossible. Thieves had no honour. No, Anko had told her. Honour was very important in a thief's world, and it was bad luck to flaunt tradition by denying it.

So Sakura had accepted it without question, had learned it, taken it to heart, and now upheld it the same way she knew Anko had.

This bastard lacked morals, lacked honour of any sort, lacked everything a thief should have stood for.

He was going down.

--

A knife, blade black in the moonlight, sliced by his cheek.

The girl's movements weren't random; but that didn't mean he could sense a pattern. The knife slashes just seemed so… thrown together.

He was sure she had something else up that skin-tight sleeve of hers.

Moonlight hit her form from behind, outlining her form in glowing silver. She looked dangerous and feline, and her _eyes_.

Her eyes had been dark brown (he was _so sure _of it, too), but they were glowing sea-foam green, and he was reminded (painfully) of Sakura.

Actually, the whole moment reminded him of Sakura. It brought him back to that first night at the lake. That first where everything started.

He was obviously lost in thought for just a second too long, because a sharp edge caught his cheek and left a thin trail of dark, shining blood.

He hissed as the stinging pain numbed into a dull ache. His ego was bruised more then anything. He had never been hurt in a fight before. Not even dobe had managed it.

She was good.

He could _feel_ the smirk on her lips.

The knives clashed again, and he realized he was staring into her eyes, they were so close. Damn, she looked almost exactly like Sakura (but then again, she didn't; her hair was blond).

They stopped moving; they had to, they were both in a position to kill each other. And they were just a hair width away from each other. Then they were arms length, and then they were almost touching, taut skin against taut skin.

She snorted.

"Let me go, and I'll let you go, and we'll leave, and pretend this never happened."

He knew that voice. That was Sakura's voice. How could it now be? But he wanted to be sure.

"What's your name?"

Sakura almost wanted to let out a gasp. She had recognized that voice. She _knew_ she knew it from somewhere!

Sasuke was the only person in the entire world with that (at this moment) despicable baritone voice.

She slipped out of his grasp, and crouched, her knives her only defense.

It didn't stop his name from slipping out of her lips though. And this caused more then confusion.

"How do you know my name…?"

And then she was behind him, her knife at his throat. She had shaken him more then he had thought.

"I know you better then anyone, Uchiha Sasuke. Just never ask my name."

The knife left a thin trail of blood across his throat as it pressed into his skin.

And then she was gone.

--

Sakura gasped in relief.

She had gotten away, by the lucky chance that hearing his name had given her.

She shuddered.

The way he looked at her… she was sure he had recognized her. There would be retribution later. Of this, she was also sure.

But right was not the time to think of that.

She needed to know if Anko and the others were all right.

Had Tenten…? No, she was at home tonight.

And besides, disloyalty went against Tenten's every grain. This was not uncommon knowledge, and Sakura knew it was sound enough to impede her doubts.

The motorcycle roared to life underneath her hands, and her rootless soul was lost to the nightlife she adored so very much.

--

Sakura reached the house, as soon as she could.

The lights were on, but there was a deserted feel to it. She slipped inside, only to note the traps.

They were still in pace, untouched, un-removed. Good.

She slid by them, out of habit, out of endless drills, but it didn't change the care she put into her footsteps.

A thought occurred to her.

Where _had_ Anko learned her thief's trade?

She shook the bizarre thought away, and proceeded into the kitchen.

The first thing she noticed was that everyone, save for Anko, was sitting around the table. This, in itself, was odd, because Anko never let them alone when something bad happened. They had been _hacked_. That was _more_ then just _bad_. That was ghastly, on a happy little note.

As if.

"Where's Anko?"

Sakura could hear the tension in her own voice.

Everyone looked at her, their eyes scared, frozen in doubt.

"She just… disappeared. It was like she was there one minute, and then she was… gone…"

Temari answered her question, although Sakura knew she had answered for all of them.

"This was laying next to where she had been sitting."

After she spoke, Hinata held up a small piece of paper. She tossed it at Sakura who, out of reflex, caught it.

On it, a shining, shimmering little snake was coiled around a musical note.

Sakura's fist clenched around the piece of paper, and Ino spoke the one work Sakura did not want to hear.

She didn't need to hear it, but the others did, and right as Ino spoke the name, Sakura hissed in digust.

"Orochimaru."


	19. Chapter 19

Hi everyone! 91 REVIEWS?! OMG THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!! What would I do without the loverly reviewers who keep me writing?! I repeat, thanks to EVERY single one of who has reviewed!! Ummm... I left it a cliffie... again... please don't kill me, I _know_ it's evil as all hell!!

I'm listening to seriously depressing music, and it is NOT helping me with my boy problems!!

XD Oh, it's so easy to make Oro-chan evil. He's the perfect villain.

**Disclaimer:** Richard, who is sitting behind me with his arms around me, says I look bored. Do I? Oh, yes, I do. I've done this _waaaayyy_ too many times. Sigh. I don't own Naruto, despite my absolute adoration of it.

**Dedication:** To anyone who's ever reviewed this story! And a special dedication to Ronnie-sama. Darling, do I even have to say anything?! To Alex, my twin sister. We think so much alike!

"Talking"  
'Thinking'  
**((My ANs that own the world. Admit it, they do.))  
**_Emphasis on certain words, or song lyrics  
__**Texting**_ (just for this chapter)

* * *

Sasuke swore as he got into the house. And it wasn't quiet.

Naruto, used to Sasuke's random outbursts of colourful language, scampered down the stairs, only to notice the already healing cut on Sasuke's cheek.

He burst out laughing.

"The chick got you good, didn't she?"

Sasuke snarled deep in his throat. _No one_ had ever left a mark on him. It was unprecedented. It was unfamiliar. It was alien. It was so _wrong_, on _so many levels_, that it almost made him sick.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, and without much thought, flipped it open.

It was a text from Sakura, and it made him shake in an irritated way. He _knew_ she was lying about being a maid. What else had she lied about?

But the text was familiar, in a Sakura kind of way.

_**Hey Sasu-chan,  
**__**  
Hina, Tennie and I got work  
**__**I'll call when we're back.  
**__**. -Saku**_

Sasuke sighed.

Sakura really was insane.

But then again, he wasn't even sure he _knew_ the girl anymore.

Then a picture of her face, from that day where he caught her singing, flashed through his mind, and he knew it didn't matter. She was Sakura, he was Sasuke, and _that_ was what mattered.

Naruto, still lurking about in a corner, snatched the little phone out of the dark-haired boy's grasp. Sasuke snarled. That phone had his one line to Sakura on it.

"Huh, so they're… out. Sasuke, is it just me, or does that sound especially suspicious? And if it _is_ just me, am I going insane?"

"Dobe, don't be stupid."

"Well then, thank you for clearing that up for me."

The sarcasm in Naruto's voice was layered on a little thick, and Sasuke let his lips turn up a little at his best friend's statement. Life was always more vivid when Naruto was around.

But the golden-haired boy flicked the phone back to Sasuke (who caught it, out of reflex) and sauntered off.

Something about that saunter was so reminiscent of Kakashi, Sasuke almost shuddered. That boy was going to hell, no doubt about it.

His phone was vibrating, and he didn't know why. Then he realized he was shaking, from what, he did not know. Maybe seeing that Sakura look-alike, and then getting that text so soon afterwards. Life really liked fucking with him.

He went to the kitchen, grabbed a beer, cracked it open, and drank it in a gulp. Four more of these, and his head was just a little bit muddled.

He slowly ascended the stairs, and he collapsed on the bed as soon as he reached his room. There was too much going on in his head, too many thoughts, not enough of the buzzing he generally associated with tipsiness. Damnit.

'Sakura…' was the dark-haired boy's last thought before he let himself pass out.

* * *

The first thing Anko had any conscience of was that she was chained to a wall by her wrists. She was lying on the ground; this, in itself, was a good sign, because it meant that her chains were long enough to let her sit on the ground without discomfort. And it meant that whoever had kidnapped her had a small amount of decency.

That was odd, actually. Most kidnapers had no regard to the ones they kidnapped. She knew she needed to do damage control, reassure her girls, make sure they did nothing rash, but whoever the hell it was had taken her phone.

At least he'd had enough sense to do that.

Then again, he hadn't checked her clothes, to make sure she wasn't wired. She knew, because she could still feel the little earpiece that had connected her to Sakura. It was useless now, though. The electrical current that usually kept it running had been short-circuited.

Another though occurred to her. She ought to check her own body, to see if she was still in one piece.

As she did so, she quickly did a check list over her body. She moved slightly, and a searing pain through her ribs made her gasp. Damn it, that was probably a broken rib… or two, with her luck. There were only a few extra bruises, plus the possibly broken rib, and nothing more.

She breathed out a sigh of relief. This was good. Nothing too serious, and she was wearing her own clothes, the ones with lock picks sewn into the seams.

Golden eyes glittered in the dim light.

"Anko, dear. It's good to see you, again."

Hatred sparked in her eyes as she recognized that despicable voice, and then she spat in his face.

"Fuck you, you bastard."

The slimily condescending voice didn't waver.

"Now, now Anko darling. No need to get… petty. Why don't you just play nice for Daddy?"

"Daddy, my ass."

She spat the words out again, the disgust in her voice palpable.

A pale hand reached out, gently (Anko could feel her skin crawling) took her chin, and forced her to look into his eyes.

Her eyes widened, and then he kissed her.

Every part of her body rebelled. He was _not_ supposed to be here; he was _not_ supposed to be near her, he was _not_ supposed to be in her life ever again!

She bit his tongue when he tried to force it into her mouth.

He wiped the blood off his lips. Anko had bitten through skin and muscle, and even now, she was spitting out the taste of the thick red liquid. Ugh, even his _blood_ was foul.

"It took me a long time to break your will the first time, and this time is no different. I'll enjoy it."

Anko hissed, but said nothing. The fucking shit head didn't deserve to hear her voice.

He leaned down to kiss her again, but she turned her face away violently. He was never to kiss her, never to touch her, never to be _near_ her, never ever again.

'You'll _never_ touch me again.'

The silent vow echoed through the empty room, and she was sure that evil motherfucker could hear it. It hadn't been spoken, but his eyes narrowed, and Anko smirked in satisfaction.

She called him every foul name she could think of, in each of the thirteen languages she spoke fluently. Not English though, just the other twelve.

The stupid fuck only understood English.

'He really is a waste of space' thought Anko. She didn't move, for fear that he might realize that she still had several means of escape. He was always so arrogant; it was one of his worst flaws. It was then, and it obviously hand't changed even a little bit.

He turned and left the dark room, leaving Anko alone.

Urgh, she shuddered. She detested the man, so much. So much, it wasn't even hatred. It was abhorrence, not hatred.

But damn it, she couldn't quite reach the lock picks… It might take a few hours, a few precious hours that she did _not_ have. That kidnapping piece of shit had held her once against her will; he was _not_ going to manage it a second time.

She reached again for the smallest pick in vain.

Sigh… This might take a while…

* * *

Temari's hands clenched the steering wheel. Tenten was sitting next to her, white, tense, and motionless. Hinata and Karin, both sitting in the back, were just as quiet. A deathly silence filled the air, and the tension was so thick you could have cut it with a knife.

Sakura and Ino had both preferred the dirt bikes they were used to. It just made everyone's life easier if they didn't have to fight like rats in a barrel. Right now, all that mattered was that they find Anko, and _fast_.

Ino hadn't told them Anko's story yet, but she knew it needed to be told soon, because they wouldn't understand just quite how important Anko truly was. There was danger in the water, and they were testing its capabilities.

Sakura, her hair returned to its normal pink, stared up at the place. She had arrived just a few minutes before everyone else, and it had given her a few precious minutes to think of what she was going to say to Sasuke.

Everyone else arrived at Sharingan's mansion.

This was not the time for stupid rivalry. They needed help, help they were bound to find here. If nothing else, Kakashi would help them, simply though his utter adoration of Anko.

Love really did strange things to the mind, body, and soul.

Sakura pulled off her helmet, and stared up at the dark, foreboding place. There was nothing dangerous about it, really there wasn't (she knew, she'd been there enough times…), but it still gave her the shudders to think that they were giving themselves away this easily.

But it was for Anko.

She had saved them. Now it was their turn to save her. They wouldn't be square, not even _close_, but it went towards paying the huge-ass life debt they all owed her.

Tenten knew this place, knew it well enough to call it a second home. But that didn't stop her from unsheathing a dagger as long as her forearm. Better safe then sorry.

The brunette jerked her head towards the door frame, and she led the girls in.

The first thing she noted was the traps. Several of them were set up along the floor. She jerked her head at Sakura, the person in the room with the most experience at setting off deadly traps, and then avoiding the deadly results.

Sakura set off every trap, and avoided the poisoned darts like she had been trained on this particular set. She smirked, because, really, there was nothing quite as exhilarating as making booby traps useless.

Sasuke wouldn't be please.

At this, she snorted, because in all honestly, at this moment, she didn't quite care.

He probably hated her now, anyways.

Sakura didn't say anything; she simply motioned to Temari to press a certain button, hidden under a false wall panel.

There.

Now, the heat-seeking lasers, which had been getting closer and closer to the rest of the group for the past few seconds were null.

Side-step a poisoned dart, duck to avoid a rigged shuriken, dance and weave around that huge-ass trap (the one that could probably end her life if she got in its way, damn it. Neji's getting better…), and finally, lightly touch the button to end the hallway, to deactivate the rest of them.

The rest of the girls simply walked through the now harmless halls.

Tenten –who passed Sakura without a word- threw open the kitchen door. Light spilled in, and then Tenten ushered the female half of her family in, to finally (officially) meet the male half of her family.

"Hi guys!"

Her voice was falsely happy.

"I guess I want you guys to finally meet some very important people!"

* * *


	20. Chapter 20

XD So, who hates me now

XD So, who hates me now? Yes, I know that cliffy was evil as all hell, but still!! Writing it was so much fun.

**Disclaimer:** No, I own nothing except the plot line of this story.

**Dedication:** To Music 1s my s0ul, because she cut Oro-chan's tongue off. XD T'was very funny. To Tilders, because our conversations make me smile. And finally, to Ronnie-sama. Darling, you have to quit spoiling me with all your wonderful reviews! XD No, I still love you very, very, very much.

Oh! And a special dedication to Natty6243!! SHE WAS MY HUNDRETH REVIEWER!! OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG….

"Dude, she's hyperventilating…" Richard actually said this to Torrey when I realized I had 102 reviews. I turned around and glared at the both of them.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**((My ANs, should I feel the need to put some in.))**

_Emphasis on certain words, or song lyrics_

* * *

They were all sitting in the kitchen. Neji, sitting stoically on a chair, was staring at his hands. He hadn't seen Tenten in almost a week. There was something so utterly strange about it, that he almost didn't want to believe it.

Kakashi had called a meeting, almost right after he'd woken up, and so they were just waiting for him to get there.

A few minutes later, the silver-haired man entered the room, and he began to talk.

"All right, first, there are a few things I guess I should tell you."

And just as he was about to go on, the kitchen door was thrown open.

Tenten was standing there, eyes wide, scared, and determined. Neji half got out of his chair when he realized she was shaking.

"Hi guys!"

Her voice jacked up an octave when she next spoke.

"I guess I want you guys to finally meet some very important people!"

She fluidly moved out of the way, and five other girls filed in. Sakura, Temari, Ino, Karin, and Hinata came in; all looked slightly resigned, and very unwavering.

Kakashi looked at Tenten, alarm evident in his eyes. It was Sakura who answered him.

"Kakashi, Anko got kidnapped. We need your help, because, frankly, we can't do this on our own. We're good, but we're not _that_ good. _No one_ is _that_ good."

"What?"

His voice cracked, if only faintly.

"Anko. Mitarashi. The woman you're in love with. She. Got. Kidnapped. By a crazy motherfucker, who used to be her guardian. And we can't find her on our own. We've tried, damnit, and it was useless. We can't find Orochimaru."

He looked at her, totally incredulous, when Sasuke spoke. He was the second one to recover his wits enough to actually say anything; every other male in the room was still too dumbstruck to speak.

"I _knew_ there was something familiar about that girl."

Sakura glared at him.

"No shit, Sherlock. I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out."

Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Fine then, I suppose introductions are necessary. Hi, I'm Tenten Mitarashi, I'm Anko's adopted daughter. The girls behind me are Sakura Haruno, Hinata Hyuuga, Sabaku no Temari, Karin Fukumoto, and Ino Yamanaka. Play nice, please. Cleaning this place up is hell, and I don't feel like wiping blood off the walls later."

As each girl was introduced, she did something different.

Sakura jerked her head, and then continued her glaring contest with Sasuke. Apparently neither of them was happy with the other. Hinata smiled shyly, and raised a hand in greeting. Temari didn't even move except to minimally incline her head, a habit she had picked from Shikamaru. Both Karin and Ino simply smirked.

Tenten wasn't in the mood for a fight, and she let out a snarl as Sakura started to indistinctly growl at Sasuke.

Sakura, after getting weird looks from everyone else in the room, allowed the anger (which was boiling _so close_ to the surface) to subside. She wanted to hate the man standing in front of her, but she _couldn't_, and it was driving her _mad_.

"Right then, now that that's over…"

Sakura closed her eyes at Tenten's words. She didn't want to _deal_ with this right now, so she spoke.

"Honestly, we need help. I hate asking for it like this, because it's so _pathetic_ and Anko would never want it like this but… I know that if we ever want to see her again, this is the only choice we have."

The boys seemed to be thinking it over, Naruto already smirking, Shikamaru already planning. Hinata smiled at the sunny-haired man, and decided to put her two cents in.

"Neji-nii-san, Naruto, I am sorry, about everything. And there'll be time to explain later, hours and days and weeks and months and years to explain, but right now, there's a life hanging in the balance. And she's very important, to seven people in this room. So please…"

And then Kakashi spoke.

"What?"

His voice cracked again.

Tenten gave him one of those 'are-you-really-that-stupid-or-do-I-have-to-spell-it-out-for-you?' looks. Kakashi stared at her, eyes wide and dense in rejection of Tenten's foreign words.

No, this could not be happening. No, this _could not be happening. Not again._ He _could not_ lose Anko again, not when they had just finally found each other again.

When he spoke next, his voice broke on the last word.

"Where do we start?"

* * *

It had finally happened.

Anko had finally retreated to that little space in her mind. That little spot, where everything was good, and there was no pain, and no guilt, and no lies. He had finally got past all the layers of mental protection, except this last one. And he would never get her here.

It had been designed especially to keep him out.

And it was working. She let herself smirk just a little.

There was just her, and the soft yellow and pink paper flowers, and the bright purple sky with the fluffy egg-shell white clouds, and the cerulean blue waist high grass.

No one could hurt her here.

She hadn't been able to reach the lock picks, and Orochimaru had kept coming in every few minutes.

She closed her eyes.

Even with the breakup with Kakashi, even when Sakura and Tenten first got high together, even when Temari nearly killed herself, it had never come to this. This place was reserved for the worst of the worst.

And that worst of the worst was her old guardian.

Even now, even here, she could feel his tongue sliding up and down her throat.

But she closed the appalling images out, wiped her mind of the sickening images, took those ghastly feelings of dread, loathing, hatred, and threw them in the clear green pond. She watched them curdle and dissipate, and shuddered slightly.

She could still feel his tongue.

And then the other side of her, the side that was her anger, woke up, and managed to dredge up enough enthusiasm to slap him.

And she did slap him, hard enough to crack his neck to the side.

The first thing she did after opening her eyes to the real world was hiss at him, absolute disgust and odium blatant in her voice.

"Get _away_ from me! I am _not_ your plaything, and I will _not_ consent to this!!"

"Oh, but darling, you will. Do you really think any of those… children you consider family will come for you? I think not."

His words were poison, poison to her system.

But she shoved them away, the way she'd seen Sakura shove wounds and blood loss to the side so many times, the way she'd seen Ino toss attackers on their heads, the way she knew Tenten would be willing to destroy anything and everything that got in her path.

The way she had taught them to be.

They really were (the thoughts of her girls, of Kakashi, of the_ goddamn future_) the thoughts that kept her sane. And they were the shining beacon of light that was keeping her mind intact.

But it was dimming.

Slowly, but surely, it was dimming.

She knew she had to get out, soon, because if she didn't she would eventually lose the little that was left of her sanity.

He left.

She sighed in relief.

And she went back to trying to reach for the lock picks.

Just a little… further…

And then everything went black.

* * *

Hinata was clenching Naruto's hand.

They were sitting outside on the swings, staring at the empty, dark, rainy sky. That was odd, because the moon was out, and the whole area was lit with an unearthly silver glow. Their hands were intertwined, and Hinata was currently clinging to Naruto's hand like it was the last line life she had.

And really, it just might have been.

She looked up at the sky-blue eyes, the golden hair, and the sunny smile, and she let herself open up. He needed to know what she was feeling, and exactly why she was feeling it.

"Naruto… I'm scared."

He didn't make a sound, but let her continue.

"I know it's totally irrational and silly, and slightly pessimistic, but… I'm scared. I've never been this scared in my entire life. Do you understand, even a little?"

He inclined his head, and bestowed on her one of those smiles, happier then the sun.

"Hinata, this Anko, she's special, to you, right?"

Hinata nodded, slowly, agonizingly slowly.

"And she's special to Tenten, and Sakura, and the rest of everyone, and Kakashi, right?"

Hinata nodded again.

"Then we're going to fight for her. It's that simple. Everyone has special people; those special people need to be protected. And it's important to you. I'll fight, just because it's important to you."

He smiled again, and it only slightly blinded her.

She leaned against him, pressing her face into his shoulder, and let out a small, incoherent sob.

It had started to rain.

But it wasn't the cold rain; the icy kind that no one liked. No, it was the warm rain, the kind that a person could go dancing in, get totally soaked, and come back inside laughing. The rain sparkled in the moonshine, glowing every shade of silver imaginable.

It was like being caught in a field of diamonds. It was the most beautiful thing either of them had ever seen. They looked at each other, and Hinata gave him one of her brave, broken smiles, and it made Naruto's heart ache in an unfamiliar, stunning way. It was like nothing else he'd ever felt.

Naruto wished, for a moment, that Hinata was laughing right now.

He really loved her laugh. It was so happy, so timeless. So Hinata.

And if he couldn't hear it right now, he might go insane.

He jumped of the swing, and gently tugged his hand out of hers. She tilted her head at him quizzically. He just smiled, and started to push her.

Soon, she was swinging through the wet night air, her short hair flying in all directions. The moonlight glanced off the droplets in her hair, and Naruto swore that he was looking at a princess.

And then she was laughing, happily, crazily happily, in another kind of way that made Naruto's heart ache, again. This time though, there was a… cheerful kind of connotation to it.

He wanted to hear her laugh for the rest of his life.

He slipped from behind her, where'd he'd been last, and stood in front of her, grinning sunnily.

He spoke, his voice echoing around the clearing.

"Jump Hinata!"

As he said this, her eyes widened, and she shrieked her answer.

"What?!"

"C'mon! Jump! I'll catch you!"

"Do you promise?"

"Pinky promise."

"Are you _sure_?!" She stressed her last word.

"Yup."

So she closed her eyes, and felt herself let go of the swing.

And for one shining, insane minute, she was flying.

Naruto caught her with both arms, and swung her around, and kissed her until she was dizzy. She wasn't sure which was more at fault, the thrill of flying, or Naruto's lips on her own.

She supposed it didn't really matter.

He kissed her, again, and again, and again. He didn't put her down, just held her close, and stared deeply into her lilac-tinted pearly eyes, and kept his hand at the back of her neck.

He kissed her again, diamonds made of water shining in both of their hair.

* * *


	21. Chapter 21

I feel so lazy, it's not even funny

I feel so lazy, it's not even funny. I want to write, I don't want to write, then I want to write again… so I'm forcing myself down, and making myself write something.

New Naruto chapter out! GASP! -dies at content-

We're getting to the end people… (only a few more chapters….) but I have to say… Thanks for sticking with me. :)

**Disclaimer:** "Hey, this is that place!" "What place?" "Y'know, that place! The one where you're supposed to write something amusing, stating that no, you don't own Naruto and whatever other shit you use…" "Oh, that." "Yes, that." "It's called a disclaimer, stupid."

**Dedication:** To everyone who has reviewed (ILOVEYOUSOSOSOSOSOMUCH), AND SPECIAL THANKS TO Ronnie-sama, as always, because she's just special like that.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**((My ANs. Bow to them. BOW, I SAY!!))**  
_Emphasis on certain words, or song lyrics. You're smart, you'll know the difference._

--

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Damnit, time was moving so slowly.

Then again, Anko wasn't sure she wanted it to move any faster. Because if time moved, then that bastard would be back, and he would molest her some more, and she would retreat into herself, and then the cycle would repeat itself.

Rinse and repeat. And repeat. And repeat, and repeat, and _repeat_.

And urgh, she just didn't want to be _alive_ anymore, because she couldn't move, she could hardly breath, and she definitely wasn't allowed to _think._

Because thinking encompassed figuring out ways to escape this hellish place.

She shuddered as another scream tore through the silent, night air. This was not uncommon, but it still gave her the creeps.

Screaming here just meant someone else had fallen to her old caregivers' insanity.

She could still feel the lock picks, sewn into the hem of her shirt. Ew, this shirt hadn't been washed in days… Wait, it had only been hours. It just felt like days. And weeks. And months. And hell, it felt like she'd lost years of her life.

And maybe she had. Mentally, anyways.

It was exasperating. She could almost reach them, could almost reach her picks, one more flick of her wrist, and she would be out of here. For the last time, because she'd never be back her again.

But she didn't have the heart for it.

And then she heard it.

Slight rattling. Not the usual jarring of the doorknob.

It couldn't be the motherfucker, he was never that delicate.

Kabuto (so far, the only other person she had seen. He'd come in to make sure she wasn't poisoned. She had no idea why he stayed) had knocked, loudly enough to wake her from a deep slumber.

So it couldn't be him, either.

She held her breath, hoping, hoping, hoping, _hoping, hoping, and hoping _that it was somebody at least slightly sane.

And then she saw it. A pair of eyes, lit with insane, grim purpose, one black-irised, the other a with deep crimson iris, came into her vision.

She had never been so happy in her entire life.

Because if Kakashi was here, the girls were here. And life would be good again.

Hm. So _that_ would explain the random earlier screaming.

A sick grin lit her lips. If she was lucky, the motherfucker was dead, and she could go home. Life would be so much easier if he was.

But she didn't make a sound, because Kakashi was standing in front of her, and then he picked the locks around her wrists, and he picked her up, and he kissed her.

He kissed her in a different way, a way he'd never kissed her before. There was something so desperate about it, something that spoke of complete and total worry, to the point where it was a sort of agony.

She liked it.

God, she really was twisted, wasn't she, to like this sort of thing. She had just nearly died, she felt dirty, violated and not nearly worth anything.

But he still wanted her.

You gotta give the guy some credit.

And then, even while they were kissing, the first tremor hit.

It wasn't something small. It was one of those earth-shaker kinds, the kind where thousands of people die.

Anko was having none of this.

She gently pulled away (no need to hurt the poor guy's feeling… really…), and pulled him out of the room.

"C'mon Kakashi, this is _not_ the time to be making out, thank you _very_ much…"

--

Sakura and Sasuke were running, their legs moving perfectly in sync.

They didn't have much time. _No one_ had much time. They both knew, instinctively almost, that Kakashi had gone ahead, to find Anko.

The two of them, Naruto, Suigetsu, Karin, Tenten, Neji, Shino and Ino had remained behind to keep everyone else away. Naruto had tried to make sure Hinata had stayed with Temari and Shikamaru, because he was worried she might get hurt.

Aw, cute, he's worried about you. But pffft, not likely.

And so ten of them (Hinata included. Like Naruto was going to get away with controlling _her_!) had been bombarding the place for the last few hours.

Only recently had they actually managed to get inside.

Y'know, despite Hinata's lack of physical might, the girl's brains definitely made up for it. She was the one who had blown up half the rear wall.

Naruto had been astounded.

She hadn't even used gunpowder. She had used _flour_. Flower, as in, _cooking flour_. You know, the white stuff you usually put in cakes to make them taste yummy? Ya, that stuff. Hinata had used flower to explode a good portion Orochimaru's rear wall, the only wall he hadn't thought to protect.

Well, then again, he had obviously underestimated them.

When Naruto later asked Hinata about how she managed it, a self-satisfied smirk touched her lips.

"Kegs of _flour_ did this?!"

"Naruto, flour heated under pressure explodes. It couldn't have worked better, even if I'd used gunpowder. I'm very happy with that outcome, personally."

He would merely shake his head in wonder, as his respect for the tiny indigo-haired woman grew exponentially.

Sakura had then proceeded to thwack him unceremoniously over the head.

"Quit your bloody flirting, and can we _please_ go?! This place gives me the heebie-jeebies, understand?!"

"Yes, _mother_."

She glared at Naruto, and Sasuke let out a snort of laughter.

Watching Sakura beat Naruto into the ground really was exceptionally funny. And it was something that was actually worth his time, so it made it even better.

Because there were _very_ few people that could beat Naruto into the ground and get away with it. Sakura was one of them.

Then the rosette (who had decided, for the sake of pissing Anko off, to keep her hair its usual pink) had shoved Naruto and Sasuke through the hole in the wall with a huff.

Jeez, no need to piss a PMSing girl off. Don't you _know_ better?!

Karin went in last, and checked the surroundings to make certain no one had followed them in. Really, there was nothing better then this.

She hadn't had adrenaline flowing through her veins like this in a very long time.

"Saku. We're good. There's no one behind us."

Karin decided it was safe to use Sakura's nickname, because the other girl had left her hair pink anyways. And really, there was no better way to recognize Sakura then her hair.

So it didn't matter anyways.

"Thank God! Move it. Now."

The exasperation in her voice was palpable. And all the girls did as they were told, because, frankly, Sakura always was the leader in expeditions like this. She just _was_. There has never been any sort of resistance, mostly because she had done this breaking-and-entering thing the most.

Sasuke and the boys, on the other hand, did _not_ like this situation. They weren't used to getting ordered around by a _female_, and usually, Sasuke led these kinds of hunts. They were standing against the wall, arms crossed over their chests, until Sakura turned and glared at them.

Well, they better get used to being told what to do. It's a fact of life. Sorry sweetie.

"Sasuke. Move. Your. Ass. _Now_. We don't have the time to be wasting over who leads it. This is _our_ fight, Anko's girls fight. You're just along for the ride, and you _know it_. So _don't_ start with me right now."

Apparently, this quelled his righteous anger on behalf of his manliness.

Hinata laughed softly.

"Jeez Saku, no need to get on his case like that. We're all here to get Anko back, but that was rather funny to see, I must admit."

And then Naruto started to roar with laughter, and the tension in the tiny makeshift room shattered into several thousand shards.

And this caused Sasuke to pout.

Sakura shoved him on the shoulder, sent him a half-smile and a glare, and he relented. No reason not to enjoy this while it lasted.

Besides, there would be time for explanations later.

A blink and a half later, and they were outside fighting. The clash of metal rang, and the whole place was soaked with crimson blood.

No, it wasn't very pleasant, not at all.

--

A blade whipped by Karin's head, and she ducked just in time to avoid having her jugular vein sliced open. It caught a good bit of her hair though, and it sheared it right off.

When she stood up again, scarlet hair drifted to the ground around her.

'Damnit, now I'll have to go get it cut short again…' with a mental sigh, Karin went back to work, cleaning up Sakura's mess.

Which, in all reality, meant killing the victims Sakura had left to die a painful, bloody death.

'Has the girl no compassion?!'

Karin looked down at a little girl, who had enough knife marks on her to have been dead. She was staring up at the sky sadly, waiting for her death.

She couldn't have been more then ten years old.

Karin knelt down beside her.

"Are you alright, honey?"

"No, miss. I just want my mummy. But daddy said mummy didn't want me, and then he left me out here…"

"Shhhh… sweetie, it'll be alright. I'm going to take you someplace safe, okay? What's your name?"

The little girl struggled to nod, and then gave up limply.

"My name's Moegi."

Karin picked up the little child, and bit her lip and the girl trembled in pain.

If Sakura had done this, there would be _hell_ to pay… Neither Karin nor Hinata thought that the death of children helped anyone. Actually, they all thought that, but it was most repulsive to the two of them, due to both of their pasts.

"C'mon, just a tiny bit further… We'll get you to Hinata, and she'll fix you right up."

The diminutive girl shuddered again, and Karin clutched her closer.

'This little girl _won't_ die, she _can't_ die, and I will _not_ let it happen…'

Karin rushed the rest of the way. Screw Sakura's victims; she didn't have time to play nice. She needed to help this small child.

"Hinata!! I need help!!"

Hinata came bounding out of that makeshift little room, saw the girl in Karin's arms, gasped, and ushered them inside.

There were already three other little children in the room, all of them boys. One of them looked strangely like Sasuke, another looked like a brown-haired version of Naruto, and the last one… well… his nose was running terribly.

The little girl reached for them.

"Konohamaru! Udon! Obito! You're all alright! Where's everyone else? Where's Hana-"

Her last words were cut off, because they had gathered around her, and pretty much cut off her air supply from the firmness of their hug.

"God, you're alright."

Apparently, this was all they were able to say, because Hinata gently pushed them out of the way.

"I need to take of her guys, okay? Then you can hug her some more."

They nodded, and stared at her in total reverence. Karin watched the proceedings with growing amusement, because they were staring at Hinata with puppy-love-struck expressions.

A few minutes later, Naruto came in, carrying another little boy. He set the child down, and touched Hinata's shoulder lightly. She turned, smiled at him, and put the small boy on a table.

She turned back to Moegi, and started to fix the little girl up.

Hinata meticulously wrapped Moegi's cuts and scrapes, and pronounced her to be fine.

And then the boys went back to glomping her.

After Moegi had fended them off, she turned to look at Karin.

"Thank you so much for saving me! But… But… there's someone else I really wish you could find. Her name's Hanabi, and she looks a lot like… Well, she looks a lot like her!"

Moegi pointed at Hinata.

But Hinata's eyes were already the size of dish plates. Naruto looked at her, concerned, and she spoke in a silent, soft whisper.

"Naruto. That might be my little sister. Please. If you can, find her. She's about fourteen, but she looks like she's ten. She's tiny. Please, Naruto, you _have_ to find my little sister!"

Naruto nodded gravely, and dashed out the door. Hinata wanted the girl called Hanabi found. It shouldn't be _that_ hard.

After all, there were very few people who looked like Hinata.

--


	22. Chapter 22

Yayyy… reviews… I think I'm gonna die with happiness…

Yayyy… reviews… I think I'm gonna die with happiness…

And I am also in happy-land, because well… I GOT TO GO SHOPPING ON THE WEEKEND!! YAAAAYYYYYY EDMONTON!!

**Disclaimer:** Ya, ya, I don't own Naruto, I don't own jack shit. Please don't sue me; I just blew all my money in Edmonton. It was worth is, though.

**Dedication:** To Music 1s my s0ul, because she honestly deserves it for putting up with my idiocy. To Alex (darling, NO, I'm NOT mad at you for writing exams! Jeez, it's not your fault! IT'S THE TEACHERS FAULTS!!). To Ronnie-sama, because darling, you are SO worth it.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**((My awesome ANs. Ya, that's how I roll.))**

_Emphasis on certain words or song lyrics. You're all smart. You'll figure it out._

--

Naruto dodged through another doorway, careful of the dozing children on his back.

There were two of them, another boy, and another girl. One had hair the colour of sunshine, and the other had hair so dark he couldn't quite make out its colour.

When he had found them together, they had been clinging to each other, and he'd barely had the chance to introduce himself before they'd thrown themselves at him.

The boy said he was called Yuhi, and he'd introduced the girl as Aki. She had yawned, rubbed her dark green eyes, and slumped against Naruto when he'd picked her up.

"Yuhi, have you ever heard of someone named Hanabi?"

"No, no Hanabi. But there was this really weird girl! We called her Hana, because she never said more then that around most of us. She had this dark blur hair, and these really weird eyes. They were all… white. And now that I think of it, she said 'Hina' a lot, too."

"Hm. That must be the girl Hinata was talking about. Do you know where her room was?"

"Ummm… sorta."

"Okay, where?"

"Just around the corner… I _think_…" **((Have you ever tried to ask a five-year old to give you directions? It's not always the best way to go, Naruto.))**

So Naruto dashed around the corner, and came face-to-face with a long hallway, with only one door at the other end.

He scurried (as was his way) down the hallway, and tore open the door.

Inside was a very eerie room.

It was all a bizarre, watery blue, and the walls appeared to be made of water. They were pulsing inward, inward (down little grooves in the floor) towards a deep rut in the center of the floor.

Kneeling in it was a little girl.

She was wearing a kimono, made of thick, crimson material, darkened by the surrounding water-like substance. Her skin was extremely pale, and her hair was wet, matted, and very dark.

All in all, she looked to be a very strange little girl, and Naruto was reminded almost painfully of Hinata.

She didn't look up when Naruto addressed her.

"Excuse me?"

"…"

"Would you be Hanabi?"

Her head shot up, and she stared at him with wide, scared eyes, eyes exactly like Hinata's (same unique colour, same distinctive shape) and she started to motion very fast with her hands.

"Hina… Hina…"

She continued to motion with her hands, trying to convey something to him. She kept clutching at her throat…

Naruto realized with a painful shock that she must be half-mute.

"Can you speak?"

She shook her head. No.

"Do you know Hinata?"

She nodded vigorously.

"Do you want me to take you to her?"

More forceful nodding.

So Naruto did the only thing that seemed to make sense right at that moment. He gently pushed the Yuhi and Aki over, and made room for the tiny girl to climb up.

She simply stared at him, unenthused.

"Do you want me to carry you?"

She nodded again, a slight smile on her face.

It was so similar to Hinata's, that Naruto felt his heart clench tightly at the tiny movement. She reached for him, and he picked her up.

Hinata was right. The girl _was_ tiny. She couldn't have been more then sixty pounds, and no taller then five foot one. So he scooped her up in his arms, and carefully exited the room, mindful of any traps there might have been around the place.

Yuhi looked down at her, from behind Naruto's head.

"Hey, Hana! Are you alright?"

"Yuhi, be quiet, Hanabi's not feeling well."

"So her name's actually Hanabi, huh?"

"Yuhi, _quiet_."

The little boy shrugged, and then curled a little closer to Naruto's back and Aki's body at the same time. Naruto, mindful of his suddenly larger burden, was careful to keep from jostling them.

They weren't really that heavy, but still, it was good to be careful.

He left, slower then he had come in, checking every room he went by meticulously. There could be more kids locked up in this place, and he wouldn't put it past Orochimaru to have them chained up, or something equally sick.

Ugh.

As he got out, into the open field, he realized the fighting hadn't started to wind down. In fact, it was getting more ferocious as more guards appeared and started to help the mutated …beings that were fighting his comrades.

Now was _not_ the time to be sluggish.

So he raced forward, down a sideline that nobody was watching, around a huge-ass tree (what the hell, did normal trees get that big?), though a river shining red in the moonlight (urgh), and right into Hinata's makeshift hospital.

He gently put Yuhi and Aki down (almost immediately, the other children swarmed them), and carried Hanabi over to Hinata.

She gasped, and pulled her younger sister out of his arms. Hell, Hinata was a lot stronger then she looked.

"Shh, Hanabi, it's okay, I'm here, Hinata's here now…"

"Hina…"

The tiny girl pressed her face into her older sisters' throat, and started to sob silently.

"Hina, Hina, Hina…"

"Shh, Hanabi, shh… It's okay now… I won't leave again… they won't put you away again. I promise."

Hanabi looked up at her, and nodded, a strange determination shinning in her eyes.

"Hina… Hina-ta…"

"Yes, Hanabi, it's me. Everything will be good now. Everything will be happy."

Hanabi nodded, and then she passed out.

Hinata caught her, staggered, and then carefully, so carefully, rested her down on one of the beds. Hinata stared down at her younger sister's face, and then she started to cry.

Naruto did the only thing he could think of.

He gathered her in his arms, and let her cry into his shirt. The children, all six that were awake to some degree, crowded around them, around Hinata and Naruto, and started hugging every part of either of them that they could reach.

A chorus of frantic "Thank you!"s filled the room.

Naruto smiled, because, really, children could be sweet when they wanted to be.

Yuhi stared straight up at the two of them. He seemed to be the chose spokesperson for the tiny group.

"Thank you, from all of us. I don't think there's anyone else, because _he_ usually let us see each other, everyday, y'know? He liked it when we were happy… Then again, maybe he didn't…"

Hinata bent down, and looked the little boy in the eye. He blushed.

"That's okay. Thank _you_ for letting me take care of you guys. …Do any of you know what happened to Hanabi?"

Six shaking heads confirmed her precognitive guess.

"So her vocal cords never completely healed… hmm… anyways. Now, here's another question for you. What do _you_ want to do, and where do you want to stay?"

"With you."

Their answer was unanimous. They were obviously _not_ going to be leaving anytime soon.

Hinata almost laughed.

Now Anko would have _another_ set of children to teach, and _another_ set of thieves-in-training to coddle. Life really was wonderful.

Except for the fact that no one else had come back yet, and this was starting to worry Hinata and Naruto both. They didn't have to say it to communicate it to each other.

There was no need to worry the children. They would be safe, from now on.

Even if that meant Naruto and Hinata were suddenly the unwilling parents of seven hyperactive children. **((Dude, I didn't even realize I had made seven of them… that was a total accident, but somehow, it's totally fitting.))**

If that's what keeping those children safe mean, then that is what it meant.

--

Ino had a pair of hand guns pulled out, and she was firing them animatedly. She was laughing the entire time, too.

And she was quite the most beautiful thing Shin had ever seen.

Somewhere along the way, her hair tie had come undone, and her hair was long and loose. It looked like spun gold, shining in the eerie silver moonlight.

Time seemed to slow as someone (or something. Shino couldn't really tell; it was too dark, but at the same time, too bright) came at the laughing blonde, it's sword drawn.

Her eyes widened in slight terror, terror that was unreasonable, because it wasn't like she couldn't defend herself. But still, it had frozen her solid.

And then he was in front of her, running an already blood-splattered scythe through the stunned opponent.

No, you _don't_ touch Ino. On pain of death, you _do not_ touch Ino.

A smirk and a half later, and they were standing together, back facing back, and moving rapidly in a deadly dance. While Ino dispatched distant foe after distant foe, Shino was slicing through any one of them that got too close for comfort.

In a brief moment of relapse (a calm breath of stale air, really), while the enemy was regrouping and waiting, and baiting, Ino actually had a second to speak to him.

"I didn't realize you were so good. Boys usually aren't."

"Thanks _ever_ so much, Ino. I didn't realize girls in general were so sufficient."

She glared at him before answering.

"Do I _look_ like I need saving?"

"Yes, you do."

And he leaned forward, and pressed his lips against hers.

They managed to stay like that for more then ten seconds, and Ino was quite displeased when the roar of something feral tore the two of them apart.

"If you think that this is the end of this argument, you can think again."

Shino found her response amusing, and a low, throaty chuckle escaped him.

"I wouldn't even wish it, my dear. You're very pretty when you're angry, you know."

This earned him another blush, and another glare, and in Shino's ever so infamous non-verbal communication, he answered her non-verbal response with a chuckle.

Screw non-verbal. Ino almost jumped on him, but then that thing roared again.

Ino decided she'd do it later.

For conversation's sake, she decided she might as well initiate some, because Shino seemed a little bit useless at it.

"So. Are we going after that thing, or should we let Sakura and Sasuke do it? Knowing Sakura, and taking a well-informed guess at Sasuke, I don't think either of them would be too pleased if we took away such a victory from them."

"And miss their faces when they realize they've just lost to the pair of us? I should think not."

This obviously satisfied Ino, because she smirked evilly, tapped him on the shoulder, and then dashed off.

Amid the raining knives, spears (and several other types of random weapons), she looked like a fairy-tale princess.

It would have to be a damn twisted fairy-tale, though.

"Tag, you're it!"

This phrase (apparently) woke Shino from his sudden fairy-tale moment, and he glared at a defenceless piece of dirt for a second before taking off after her.

Nothing like a little game of Tag to really get a person's adrenaline rushing…


	23. Chapter 23

OMIGOD

OMIGOD. 10,000 hits. What did I do to deserve this awesome treatment?! I blush. I think I'm gonna die from all the happiness. It's just amazing. Heart for everyone who's ever touched upon this little story.

Oh, and I've fallen in love. Be happy for me.

**Disclaimer:** Hm. Do I own Naruto? No. But I do own Yuhi and Aki. And I own this plotline. Aren't I just special like that?

**Dedication:**To everyone who reviewed! And to my mummy, because she was nice enough to buy me Warped Tour tickets!! EEEEEEEEKKKKKK!! OMIGOOOOD!!

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**((My awesome ANs. Read 'em and weep people. Read 'em and weep.))**

_Emphasis on certain words or song lyrics. You're all smart; you'll figure 'em out._

--

Sakura slammed her knives into a huge slug-like-thing's (she wasn't quite sure just _what_ the bloody hell it was…) belly. She shoved them to the side, jumping out of the way of a gush of purple and red mixture that must have been it's blood and stomach acid.

She had already grown wary of all the things innards. She couldn't see the others anymore; but she knew, instinctively almost, that they were fighting. Not Hinata and not Naruto though, she decided without much thought.

Hinata never fought. It wasn't in her nature. And Naruto adored the Hyuuga girl too much to just leave her _alone_ like that.

Actually, if she strained her ears, she was sure she could hear Ino laughing…

But then again, maybe not.

A pause in fighting. Sakura readied her herself for another onslaught when something whipped by her, and wracked the oncoming thing in the side. Blood splurted.

Ew. Nasty.

And this translated into one word, and one word only.

Sasuke.

He dashed back towards her, coming to rest at her side. He looked refreshed, and he was sort of… _glowing_… like he'd just got out of the shower.

'Damn bastard. He looks better then me even when he's been fighting for as long as I have. How is that fair?!'

Sakura's thoughts didn't show up on her carefully trained façade of being constantly in control, and Sasuke noticed nothing out of the ordinary. He cast a glance around them, before turning to eye her.

Sasuke sent a wary look her way, but her forever-red mouth was smirking, and she looked beautiful.

This really was the way he liked her best.

When her cheeks were pinked from exertion, (among other things… No! _Not_ the time for _that!_) and when she was smirking, and when her rose hair was let loose to curl around her face and frame her eyes.

She was perfect.

And she _still_ didn't quite belong to him. Damnit. He'd have to get to work on that…

"Urgh."

She only said one word, and he couldn't believe how turned on he was. Hell, it wasn't even a real word!

"Sasuke, help me get this glove off, please. It's soaked in guck, and I don't like it at all. It's kinda revolting. Help me. Now."

He sighed slightly, and helped her tug the glove off. It really was a disgusting piece of clothing. It was burned in several places by different types of acid (probably from the monster's blood and or innards…) and it was mostly shredded anyways.

She grabbed another pair of them from out of her back pocket, slipped them on her wrists and turned, with a hand on her hip, to smirk at him.

Did she ever do anything else?!

"Sa-suke. How much do you love me?" **((My boyfriend and I had a conversation **_**very**_** similar to this. That's where I got my inspiration.))**

"Enough."

"How much is enough?"

"Enough."

"Enough to help me massacre those things coming at us at high speeds?"

"I guess so…"

"Good boy. Take the right."

"Hn."

Sasuke unsheathed a katana half as long as he was tall. Sakura cheered loudly for a moment, before turning (and focusing) her attention on the things propelling themselves at the two teenagers at 'high speeds' (as coined by Sakura).

The two of them slashed the goopey, gooey, gross thing to several pieces.

Sakura thrust her hand into the air, with a victory scream.

Too late.

The thing had already put itself back together, and had thrown a tentacle out at her. Terror overwhelmed her, and she was waiting for the impact that never came.

Sasuke had managed to slice off the tentacle before it had the chance to touch a single one of Sakura's hairs.

"Sakura."

She finished his sentence for him.

"We need fire."

Keeping her eyes locked on the revolting thing (you lost your concentration idiot! How could you need someone else to save you? Are you _stupid_, or something?) she tossed Sasuke one of the lighters in her pocket.

"What _else_ do you have in those pockets?"

"Oh. Plenty."

And, with a shrug of nonchalance, she went back to slicing pieces of it off, setting them on fire, encouraging Sasuke to come and help her. Well, it wasn't actually _encouraging…_

"Sasuke, you bloody idiot! Stop being stupid and come over here and help me! This repulsive monstrosity is not going to die on its _own_, you know!!"

He sighed, and followed her instructions. Cut, light, watch it burn with a sigh. Cut, light, watch it burn with a sigh.

Rinse and repeat. And repeat. And repeat, and repeat.

It almost got monotonous.

And then there was nothing left of it, and they moved on to the next genetic experiment Orochimaru.

Sakura clenched her fist.

She wanted to kill him. For Anko, she wanted to kill the bastard that did all this. No one else. Just her, and that evil snake, and the judgment she knew that was going to pass on him.

He didn't deserve death.

He deserved eternal suffering.

And if she couldn't give him that, she'd do her best to make sure he died in a painful, slow way.

The best revenge is usually the simplest thing in the world.

Destroying his personal army was a very good start.

A flash of pink and gray caught her eye and she whipped her head around to see Suigetsu and Karin, linked together, and fighting something huge and appalling and, there was no other way to put it, gross.

Sakura saw Naruto sprinting along the sidelines, carrying three children. Revulsion filled her. Orochimaru had _children_ here? She had no words to describe the hatred that filled her veins right at that moment. At the very least, Naruto was getting them out of there.

Sasuke grabbed her wrist, and tugged her towards the entrance of the place where this all started.

It was quiet in there.

This didn't surprise Sakura, but it unnerved her, because she could hear the walls screaming silently. They had seen things that no place should have to witness.

Whatever had happened here was worse then mass genocide.

And there's not much that's worse then genocide.

A shudder wracked her body, and she knew where to go. She didn't need to have anyone telling her that Orochimaru would be sitting in a thrown-like chair in the middle of this building. She knew it, because Anko had told her so. Inadvertently, of course.

Sasuke slid behind her, to watch their backs. He knew she'd take care of their front side.

He didn't want them to be blind, when it came to the time to fight.

Her voice pierced the eerie silence.

"Sasuke."

"Hn?"

"When we find Orochimaru, I don't want your help."

"Why?"

"I need to kill the bastard on my own. I need to destroy him this for Anko, for the children I saw Naruto taking care of, for myself."

"So?"

"So don't get involved."

--

Karin was very happy at this particular moment.

Well, that was an exaggeration, but she wasn't pissed off. She was having fun, knocking the evil things around her full of bullets.

She'd forgotten how much fun a rifle could be.

Suigetsu was circling around her, warding anything that came too close off with the hugest-assed sword she'd ever seen in her life.

And Karin had seen some pretty huge-ass swords.

But it was working. There were monsters falling left and right.

Yet somehow, they never seemed to end. They just kept coming. More, and more, and more. It was unsettling.

It seemed like there would always be more of them, but Karin knew that eventually, they would tire.

And if they eventually tired, they would eventually let their guard down. And if they eventually let their guard down, they would eventually get hurt. And if they eventually got hurt, they could eventually get fatal injuries.

And that would be bad.

They all went into this thing knowing that death was almost a certain possibility, but they hadn't really expected it. Damn, they'd gotten cocky…

Suigetsu poked her in the back, and threw a hand over his shoulder, indicating a picture of a panicked Naruto dashing through the night, with three more children on him.

Karin nodded.

She knew what he meant.

He grabbed her hand, and together they sprinted towards the same place where Naruto was headed.

Karin wanted to make sure those children and Hinata were both safe. Suigetsu wanted to make sure that his best friend and his best friend's girlfriend were all right.

So this worked out for the both of them.

Karin tucked the rifle away (a true feat; rifle's aren't that easy to _tuck away_), pulled out a cleaver, and then turned to look at Suigetsu.

He was staring at her like he'd never seen a person pull a cleaver our of their pants before!

"What?"

"Nothing…"

"Damn, Suigetsu, you're looking at me like I'm crazy!"

"You are a crazy bitch. But it makes me love you."

"That's the right way to get out of that situation you just caused yourself. Smart-ass."

"I love you, too."

"Shut up, and let's go."

"Si, comandante!"

Karin laughed slightly.

"At least you know who wears the pants in _this_ relationship…"

But then they were both moving too fast to hear each other anymore.

The kept to the shadows, just as Naruto had, and made sure that no one saw them. If someone did see them, they weren't the sort of things that saw for long.

Dread overwhelmed Karin when she saw what awaited them.

There were three gigantic things attacking the safeguards they (the girls, Kakashi, and the boys) had put up. The things didn't notice them, not until Karin had made Swiss cheese out one of them (with both a thrown cleaver, and her beloved rifle), and not until Suigetsu had pretty much carved the other one to pieces.

Lovely.

The last one lumbered around, confused as to why it's two companions had stopped helping it.

It didn't even see Karin coming.

She sliced its head off, and then let it go up in flame, for good measure. She raced into the little safe place, to find a determined Naruto standing guard over Hinata and… a lot of children.

Karin quickly did a head count.

Seven.

There were _seven_ children.

Well, that was karmic, wasn't it?

--

Review guys! Please review! It makes me update faster! And I'm sure you'll want to know what happens next… Tee-hee!


	24. Chapter 24

Oh, I love reviews, I love lovelovelove them

Oh, I love reviews, I love lovelovelove them. To everyone who reviewed I la-la-la-love you!!

I should be shot in the head. To everyone who has put up with my non-updating-ness, please, just shoot me in the face if you wish. I am SO LAZY. It's horrible. I know. I've been told.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it. I never have, and I never, ever will.

**Dedication:** To Eleni, and Britt, and Torrey. Britt, Eleni, I miss you both. Torrey… I just… You understand, I know you do. And to Ronnie-sama, and Alex-chan, and and and…

--

Temari clenched her jaw.

She wasn't allowed to leave, and to fight like she wanted to. She had to sit here and _wait_.

And let me tell you, waiting like that isn't easy. Not easy at all. In fact, it's probably the most pointless thing in the world, waiting.

Although, considering, it wasn't _that_ bad.

Shikamaru was sitting next to her, hand wrapped around hers, fingers interlocked in a way that never should have been taken apart. She sighed softly and leaned her head on his shoulder.

The fact that she wasn't screaming in frustration yet was a testament to how much she wanted to be here.

Waiting really is hard.

Another sigh escaped her lips, and Shikamaru chuckled, his frame shaking from the vibrations coming from his chest. He pulled her into his lap, and pressed his lips against her hair before answering her unspoken questions.

"Yes Temari, they'll be fine, no, they won't die, and yes, it is important that we stay here."

He grimaced.

"We have to make sure the cops and the media don't get wind of this. If they do, we are so fucked over, it won't even be funny."

"Move you ass, I need to see the screen."

Typical Temari.

But he did as he was told, and swivelled around on the swivelly chairs he was sitting upon. **((XD I LOVE SWIVELLY CHAIRS!! Okay, don't mind me…))** Thus, technically dragging Temari along with him, and still not allowing her to see the screen.

She glared at him.

"I hate you, y'know that?"

"Nah, you love me too much to hate me."

"I wish I had a comeback for that, so just shut up."

He laughed this time, his entire body shaking with the tremors.

He hadn't laughed this much in over an entire year. And, he realized, there was going to be plenty of laughter after this.

He flicked the thing he liked to call a computer, pressed a couple more buttons, and managed to get a visual on what everyone was doing. Naruto, Hinata, Karin and Suigetsu were all standing in a small room. He blanched when he realized that there were other people in there.

Seven other people, to be exactly. Actually, they were just children, and they all looked terrified. He didn't blame them; there was hell and a half going down outside their ears.

And they all seemed to be clinging to the four adults, tears pouring down their cheeks. They obviously adored Hinata and Naruto, and they seemed to like Karin and Suigetsu just fine, from the way they seemed to be clutching onto them.

There was something oddly karmic about it, and Shikamaru wasn't at all sure if he liked it or not. It was sort of eerie.

But Temari was tugging on his sleeve, her eyes wide and scared.

"Look at Ino."

If it were possible, Shikamaru would have blanched even further.

The tall blonde and Shino were both splattered in what looked like purple-ish green goo, and they seemed to be laughing.

Well, how twisted do you get?

"Sakura and Sasuke aren't… anywhere."

She spoke for the both of them, and he knew it. Sakura didn't like the fact that they'd have cameras on them, and Sasuke hated them, either way. Knowing Sasuke, and taking a well-informed guess on Sakura, Shikamaru knew they'd both probably dismantled them as soon as they'd gotten out of his sight.

Idiots, it was for their own good…

"Shika, I can't stay here anymore, this is driving me crazy!"

"I know Temari… it's on my nerves, too."

"Can't we get a little closer?!"

She was pleading, anything, _anything_ to get closer. Even if they weren't right inside, they could stay with Hinata and Naruto and Karin and Suigetsu, and the children, and maybe, if she could get away with it, actually blow holes in a couple of the things that were oozing about…

And yet, she was pretty sure Shikamaru was deducing exactly what she was planning, and he wasn't going to let her go _near_ it.

"Damn you Shikamaru Nara."

"I love you, too."

"Shika, I can't just _stay here_. It's going to drive me mad. It's to the point where I'm going, whether you like it or not. Come if you want, but _don't_ try to stop me. If you do, I will castrate you."

"…That sounds painful."

"It would be. Now, can we please _go_?!"

He sighed, because Temari truly did know how to get her way, in everything she did. This was important, so important, but it did not hold the compromise he so required.

He wouldn't let her leave.

Which meant there was no way in hell we would be letting her die, because that would cause confusion, pain and every other emotion imaginable.

So, no. He wasn't letting her leave, and that was that.

Of course, by the time he had set this out in his head, she was already up, and half-way out the door.

Typical Temari.

He cast a glance out the window, and raised an eyebrow at his sandy-haired princess.

She cocked hers in reply, and he dashed out after her.

There was really no time to waste.

--

Tenten had her knives crossed on her chest, blades facing outwards. Neji was at her back, and together, they managed to keep back to increasingly formed monsters.

They weren't just goop anymore.

Now they had forms, and body armour. They had scales and claws and teeth and horns.

They were very unpleasant.

Tenten threw a knife, and hit one of the advancing lizard-things in the ribs. It screamed in defiance before hitting the ground and turning into gunk.

Tenten wrinkled her nose delicately, even as there was a thin line of blood across her cheek.

"That is revolting. Did he have the decency to use better materials?"

"Obviously not."

The disgust in his voice made her smile, just a little bit.

But, considering he hadn't really spoken to her directly as of yet, Tenten was still… worried. What if he considered this whole affair base treachery?

Because really people, this is Neji Hyuuga we're talking about here. Neji just _lives_ for base treachery.

But then he grabbed her around the waist, and swung her out of the way of an oncoming glop of… something. Neither of them was quite sure just _what_ it was, but it looked (and, to Neji, smelled) like acid.

And there was no way in any one of the nine levels of hell that any little bit of acid was going to touch a single hair on Tenten's head. Ever.

Out of breath, he just held her against his chest, breathing deeply into her hair.

No, no, no. Tenten wasn't going to leave. She was clinging to him, as well, so he had a sense that she felt the same way.

"Tenten?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you love me?"

His voice was soft, hesitant, so, so, so vulnerable.

"Yes."

She didn't point out the fact that this probably wasn't the time or place for this conversation, but she merely let him speak.

"Would you be willing to stay?"

"Neji, as long as you want me, I'll be here. I can't even think of leaving you, ever."

She chuckled bitterly before adding a few more words (and, of course, slashing another snake-lizard thing that had tried to get in close while they were talking).

"Although, considering, you may not want me for long after this."

"Would leaving break your heart?

"It would rip it to shreds."

And then he was kissing her, kissing her like he'd never kissed her ever before in her entire life. It was soft and sweet and scared and desperate, but it was so Neji that she nearly fainted.

"I love you Tenten. And one day, one day _soon_, I promise you that we'll get married. I've stopped giving a damn what everyone else thinks."

She sighed softly, and then took his hand.

"That's good."

And then he dodged around her to shove and arm-length knife into the gut of another sickening, gooey, nauseating _thing_.

"Orochimaru has _no_ imagination _whatsoever_."

"And, knowing Sakura, she's probably already in the midst of trying to find him to gut him. Oh, eww, Neji, do you have to make them splurt guts like that?!"

He smirked at her.

"If I didn't do it, you definitely would."

"Shut up."

As they continued to destroy misshapen thing after misshapen thing, Tenten's worry grew. Not about Neji, no, now it was about Anko and Kakashi.

"Where _are_ they?!"

One sentence was all she muttered as she hacked off the head of another lizard-man-thing. Ew, they had _legs_ and stuff now…

"I think they're along the wall, but I'm not quite sure. I think I can see Kakashi's hair."

"Then let's go that way."

And so the pair dashed towards the wall.

After finding a strange crack in the wall, they both instinctively jumped into it. And who could be sitting there, except the strangest couple in the entire world? No one. So there were Kakashi and Anko, his arms wrapped protectively around his shoulders, her head in the crook of his neck.

The purple-haired woman looked up, just int time to see Neji and Tenten slipping into the hiding spot, and a giant thing lumbering past, obscuring the hazy moon.

"Anko, thank fucking God you're alright."

Tenten's relief was visible on her face, even with the moon hazy, and her face thrown into only slight light.

She'd never looked more beautiful, then right then, covered in multi-coloured blood, gunk, and other obscure substances such as that. Well, to Neji, at the very least.

And he would have kissed her again, but she had thrown herself at the two very exhausted adults, who simply let her glomp them both into oblivion.

And then she started crying, her arms around Anko's neck.

She was silent, but there was something so wrong about it.

"Shhh, it's okay Tenten, I'm right here, I'm alive."

"But y-you're n-not okay!!"

Anko paused for a moment.

"I'll give you that. But shh, you have to be quiet; otherwise we won't make it out of here to complain about the bruises."

Tenten nodded, and dried the few tears that lingered on her cheeks. No more tears for tonight.

There could be tears later though, when they were all half-alive to talk about it.

As the three of them managed to pull a still very broken Anko out of that little hole, Tenten looked up at the sky.

"Please." Her voice was a whisper. "Please, let this all end well."

"Please."


	25. Chapter 25

Wow

Wow. Chapter 25. I'm astounded at myself. **I'M SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO SORRY TO EVERYONE WHO KEEPS READING THIS STORY! I'M SUCH A HORRIBLE UPDATER!! **Sigh… I know. I deserve death…

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Sara loves her Haine and her Badou and her Naoto. YAY!

**Disclaimer:** I just wish…

**Dedication:** Bwaha. To Ronnie-sama, as ever, because IT CAME!! …Anyways… Oh, and to Torrey. I miss you.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**((My half-assed ANs…))**

_Emphasis on certain words or song lyrics. You're all smart, you'll figure it out._

--

Sakura's head was filled with the ice-cold sense of reason that always came when she was getting ready for something. And walking through the deserted halls was giving her time to get her slight revulsion out of the way.

Actually, the revulsion wasn't _that_ slight.

She tossed her hair back, and pulled a couple of bobby pins out and shoved them into the rat's nest she called hair. She grimaced at the tugging, but didn't make a sound.

There was something about the silence.

Something that spoke of torture, and broken dreams, and human experiments that would never cause anything but pain.

It was the sort of silence that should never be broken.

Sasuke was walking a step behind Sakura, and he wanted to reach out and touch her hand, just to let her know he was there, but from the set line of her mouth, and the tilt to her chin, he knew he'd better not. **((Ohhh, role reversal, much?))**

"Sasuke, I think I should probably let you in on a little something."

"Hn?"

"There's more to this then just Anko. Orochimaru's going to die, but I'll tell you this. You're not going to like how it's gonna happen."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to make sure he never has the chance to hurt someone again. I'm not going to tell you how it's going to end, but I'm going to hit him where the sun don't shine, first."

"So?"

"So don't hate me when you realize how many different methods of torture I know."

And then something stopped Sakura's soft voice. Her eyes widened, and her mouth went into a full-out snarl.

There was an old-blood coloured handprint on the wall. And it was tiny, as if it was a child's. She walked straight up to it, and gently pressed her palm against it, a hard look on her face.

She clenched her fist, bringing a small part of the rust-coloured handprint with her.

"See, Sasuke? This is why, right here. Children. If I know Hinata, she's gotten all of them out of here, but I can't be sure. We don't have time to save them, but I'm going to make that bastard _bleed_. I'm going to make him scream for every ounce of pain he's ever caused _anyone_."

Sasuke nodded, emotionless eyes locked on hers. He was just as disgusted by this as she was.

And he understood her need for revenge, and the bloodlust that came with it. He'd felt it himself.

As they walked, Sakura trailed a finger along the wall, tracing a wary finger over the grimy surface. Tears collected in the pits of her eyes, and she clenched her jaw, and she hissed, if only slightly.

He didn't even say her name, but he slipped his hand into her, and gripped it as tightly as he could. She didn't look at him, but she gripped back, and he knew they would be fine.

A door loomed in front of them, out of the gloom. Sakura pulled her hand out of his, cracked her knuckles, and pulled out a pair of daggers the length of his arm. Sasuke gulped at the look on her face.

She opened her mouth in a silent hiss, and drop kicked the door open.

--

Hinata gently pulled the sleeping girls a little closer to herself. Hanabi was curled up at her side, her head on Hinata's lap, having fallen over from exhaustion a long time ago. The other two girls were just as close, although Moegi was staring up at Hinata awe and relief on her face.

Aki was breathing evenly, although she wasn't asleep yet, Hinata's pant leg gripped in her tiny fist.

Hinata gravely looked the dark-haired girl over, keeping Hanabi close all the while. There was no way in hell she was letting her little sister leave her now.

Hinata realized something. Aki looked like Sakura. She had the same fine cheek bones, and the same high forehead. And she had the same eyes. A colour close to Sakura's sea-foam green, but it was a guess. The room was dark, either way.

But her hair, black as ink, was all wrong.

Actually, Hinata thought, Aki looked a quite a bit like a mixture of Sakura and Sasuke, as if she were their daughter.

The little colour in Hinata's face drained away.

She carefully surveyed each of the children.

Yuhi, with his golden hair and deep blue eyes, could have been a carbon copy of Naruto. Moegi looked like a miniature Temari with Shikamaru's eyes, and spiky-ish hair. Obito could have been either Sasuke or Shino, although he looked a bit more like Shino, with his hair the way it was. Konohamaru could have been Suigetsu, too, only with differently-coloured hair. Hanabi was her, and Udon would have been Kakashi.

She felt slightly sick to her stomach.

Orochimaru had been making himself copies of the originals. And it looked like he'd been using each of their DNA to get it right. He hadn't had to do anything to Hanabi, but the others… No wonder they were all so young, but so well co-ordinated.

It was frightening, and more then slightly appalling, on every level that counted. Another thought struck her, and she couldn't help but think it through.

If he'd been making these… copies (sick human experiments, is more like it) then that meant he'd been watching them all the time. Anko had learned everything she knew of stealing from him, including trap-making and setting.

So did that mean he'd been watching them the entire time? Did that mean he had enough of their DNA to make human beings?

Hinata felt sick to her stomach.

Naruto had obviously noticed, and had come over, and gently took Hinata's hand in his own.

His palm was warm and calloused, and Hinata started to cry.

Naruto, startled, kneed down next to her (careful to avoid the children) and stared her straight in the eyes. He just looked at her for a moment. Really looked at her, in a way that most people don't care to.

He looked at her faults, her triumphs, her eyes, her hair, her nose, her lips, her mouth. And he loved her anyway.

He spoke, worry evident in his voice. There were still tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, Naruto, am I a bad person for being happy right now?"

"Hinata, it's impossible for someone like you to be bad."

"No, listen. I've just realized something. Look around you, look at the children. Who do they look like? Please, really _look_ at them."

'Really look at them the way you just looked at me.' Her unspoken sentiment rang through the air, and reached him, whether she liked it or not.

And so he did.

As his eyes widened, Hinata was satisfied that he'd come to the same conclusion she had. There was much more going on in these walls then anyone knew. Human experiments included.

"What did he _do_ to them?"

"He took our DNA, Naruto. That's what he did. And he created these ones."

"Sick bastard."

"I have to agree."

It was quiet then, for a moment, while both of them just stared in horror at their surroundings, and looking down with pity and slight sadness at the children.

These children shouldn't exist, and yet, they did. They had no parents, no one to care for them. What were they going to do when this all ended?

Hinata's mouth twisted into a firm line from its previous broken-hearted sigh posture.

"I guess we'll keep them, then."

"What?"

"The children. We girls will keep them, I supposed. I mean, it's not like they've got anywhere else to go."

"You don't think we won't help? Hinata, I thought you knew me better then that."

She laughed softly, brokenly.

"Naruto, will you really want anything to do with me once this is over?"

"Kakashi's going to marry Anko, and I know Neji's planning on asking Tenten, so yes, we probably will have _plenty_ to do with you guys."

"Naruto, I asked if _you_ wanted anything to do with _me_. It's in a different sort of context, y'know?"

"I know."

Silence blanketed the room for a moment.

"So?"

"So what?"

"So are you going to answer?"

"Hinata, to answer that, I might hurt you."

"Just tell me."

Hinata's mouth was set in a grim line, so unlike the usual smile it sported.

"Hinata, I don't ever want to let you go. I want to keep you around for ever, but I know I can't, because you deserve so much better them me."

She grabbed his arm, and pulled him closer, closer, closer, 'til his nose was less then an inch away from hers.

"If you want me around so much, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because. You deserve better then a thief like me."

"I'm a thief, too."

"You definitely are, that."

And then she kissed him before he could say much more.

It was soft and sweet, and neither wanted it to end. But the children (Hanabi in particular), as they so obligingly do, started to squirm around the two. Hinata pulled away, and gently brushed her hand across her younger sister's forehead.

There was a look of terrible tenderness in her features, and Naruto's heart squeezed painfully in his chest. She was going to be a wonderful mother, one day. And that thought made his heart squeeze even harder.

Best not to think sad thoughts, not now, anyways.

Naruto padded silently over to Yuhi, and stared down at the boy for a second (only one or tow, though). And then he sat down next to him, and ruffled his hair.

The little boy mumbled something, and curled his knees up to his chest, and just a little closer to the warmth Naruto always gave off like happiness.

"Mhmm… Pa-…pa…"

Naruto was a little startled to hear the small boy murmur something like that, but as he sat there, with the kid at his side, he smiled.

It wasn't anything to get exited over, because Naruto smiled all the time.

But it was a little different. It held a little more of his soul then his usual smile.

And even from across the room, Hinata could see it.


	26. Chapter 26

I'm a very, very, very happy girl right now

I'm a very, very, very happy girl right now. :) Thank you so much, to the people who reviewed! To everyone else, who put it on a Favourite or an Alert, and didn't review… sigh… You hurt me.

_**YAY TOMATO SANDWICHES!!**_

**Disclaimer****:** NO. NO. NO NO NO!! I don't know why you seem to think that'd I'd ever own Naruto, ever. Damn.

**Dedication:** To Ronnie-sama. You've done it again darling. You make me happy enough to make me cry. You are WONDERFUL!! O.O And you have a wonderfully evil mind, my darling, darling, darling…

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**((My crazy-ass ANs.****))**

_Emphasis on certain words, or song lyrics. You're all smart, you'll figure it ou__t_.

--

Even after drop kicking the door open, Sakura was unimpressed. This place was dingy. A slightly repulsed look crossed her face, and Sasuke took the time to study it. His quiet study session was interrupted, when Sakura started singing.

Well, it wasn't really _singing_, it was more along the lines of soft, sweet (deceptively so) murmuring.

"O-ro-chi-maru, where a-re you? Come out; come out, and let's play a game together."

A soft hiss filled the room. Shivers rippled over Sakura's skin, but a volatile, insane grin lit her lips, and both she and Sasuke turned towards the source of the noise.

There was a man standing in the center of the room. He was pale, deathly pale, with predatory golden eyes, and raven-coloured black hair. He was smiling at them both, sick, twisted hunger in his eyes.

"Well, well, well. Looks who's come to play with me."

Sakura smiled good-naturedly at him.

"_There_ you are, you evil dotard. How have you been?"

Despite the pleasantry of Sakura's words, Sasuke could feel the hatred rolling off her in waves. He let it sweep over him, and he let it engulf him.

Sakura's hatred of the man in front of them was so potent, he was sure the old creeper could feel it, too.

"I've been fine, my darling Sakura. And you brought the Uchiha boy, too! I should have known you'd bring back-up."

Her jaw clenched at the implication that she could do nothing on her own, and she crossed her arms over her chest, and jutted her hip out to one side.

"He's here because I couldn't ditch him earlier. And because I want to have someone else to watch you suffer."

Sasuke understood the coolness behind her words. She didn't mean it, but had she shown weakness now, Orochimaru would have preyed on that.

Evil bastard that he was.

"So."

She smiled, then. Perhaps Orochimaru could be scary, but he was nothing, _nothing_, in comparison to an angry Sakura.

"Here's the thing. I have a bone to pick with you, Oro-chan. You went and picked on Anko again, didn't you? Oh, but you know I hate that."

"Sa-kura, my precious little princess, you don't want to hear about that, now do you? Don't you want to hear about all the wonderful little children I've created?"

"I'm going to slice your balls off for that one, you know that, right? I hate you. I really do."

Orochimaru turned to look at Sasuke.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun. Your brother says hello."

Sasuke clenched his jaw at the mention of his brother, but he let it go. This was Sakura's revenge, and she would get him in enough pain to satisfy Sasuke's sudden lust to see Orochimaru's blood.

She smiled, then, murderous rage and hatred still rolling off her in waves. Sasuke thought he saw Orochimaru smirk at her, but then, it could have been a trick of the light.

"Oh, princess, no need to get violent."

"Violent is an understatement."

"Perhaps."

"No, not perhaps. I'm going to make you pay in blood. And you're price is higher then you're worth. You took more from me, and Anko, and Ino then you'll ever know."

And suddenly, the old creeper was next to her, slimy arms around her waist, and he was whispering in her ear.

"Oh, believe me, Sakura, I know exactly how much you hate me. I heard Anko screaming with it."

"You stupid, arrogant ass."

She slammed a single, shining silver knife into his gut, and dragged in outwards, towards the side.

Of course, he had expected that, and she's only grazed his skin.

But there was blood on the knife, crimson and shining, and an insane light filled her eyes, and Sasuke knows to get out of the way, because she looks like she's about to murder something.

Or just slice the man standing in front of them to pieces.

"You've gotten better."

"You've gotten slower."

Sasuke, leaning against the wall, was impressed. She wasn't holding back, not the way she had been, only moments before. The killing intent was there, and Sasuke knew she was not about to let the man get away.

Knives clashed, and the stinging sound of metal-on-metal filled the air. And Sasuke just stood there, just… interested. Sakura was surprised, but at the same time, she wasn't. Sasuke knew when step down, and let her do what she needed to do.

She slashed his arm, and she hoped she had gotten one of his veins.

A memory hit her then. Anko had been telling her about which parts of the body to cut to pieces when she wanted to cause death either slowly and painfully, or quickly and painfully. Femoral artery. She needed to go after his femoral arteries.

They were both moving so quickly, Sakura mused. Just like the first time she fought Sasuke. Just like that first night, when everything started. Really started, not just the half-assed startings they'd had before.

That night had been the start, and now it was leading up to this. All the way up to this.

As she dodged out of the way of a crazy strike, she reached a hand up into her hair, and touched the senbon holding it in place. They were going to be his death, she knew it now.

Sakura pulled one of them out, and stuck it in her mouth.

She didn't bit down on it, because she knew what it could do to her, but she wanted to have something to honour her older brother, either way. **((Oh, anyone who guesses who her older brother is, get's a cookie, and a dedication!))**

She pulled another one of the sharp, pointy, poison-infused senbon out of her hair, and she threw it in Orochimaru's general direction. She heard a soft hiss of pain, and she knew she'd hit her mark. **((Ne! Ronnie-chan, a gift for you! XD))**

His muscles would start freezing up, right about… _now_.

He was lying on the ground, slightly twitching as the muscle-destroying poison went to work.

And Sakura just stood there, arms crossed over her chest, and she stared down at him, disgusted amusement playing on her face.

"You really are a repulsive person, you know. And you can't even answer me, because your muscles are all freezing up, and they're hurting, aren't they? It's like your body is on fire, and you can't put it out."

She paused, and then continued.

"Hinata developed this poison _just_ for you. You should be happy. I didn't let her put an explosive chemical reaction in it. If I had, you'd be dead by now. But, then again, considering how much pain you're going to be going through, I suppose it might have been better."

He just glared at her, and a hot-blooded smile touched her lips.

"You're going to scream, and bleed, and cry. And I'm going to watch with a quiet smile."

Sasuke shook his head, and walked until he stood right behind her.

"Sakura, that's just a little bit crazy."

She leaned against him, and continued to stare down at the man in front of her.

"It's not all that twisted. Well, maybe just a little, but I think I have a right."

She pulled another senbon from her hair, and dropped it right over top of the man, allowing it to pierce his stomach, close to the first one.

More of the poison seeped through his body, and he started frothing at the mouth. Sakura and Sasuke both looked at him like he was some sort of bug.

"You're disgusting."

And she dropped another senbon on him. This one pierced closer to his heart, and his pupils dilated some more. And then she dropped another one, and another one.

And soon, the needle-like pieces of metal were pointing out of all points on his body. She leaned down, and slashed both of his legs in a certain spot. Sasuke almost wondered why she had chosen that particular spot, but he's ask her later.

Sakura did nothing but to let herself turn around, and walk out of the room.

"Aren't you going to kill him?"

"I already did."

"Explain."

"That poison will cause the muscles in his throat to close up. He'll stop breathing. And his lungs will freeze up, too. He's going to die without oxygen. And his whole body probably feels like it's on fire right about now. Oh, and I cut both of his femoral arteries. Do you have any idea how quickly a person will bleed out if they've had their femoral artery cut?"

"No. Do tell."

"Four minutes if one is cut. Two minutes if both are done. He won't be living long, and he'll be in extreme pain."

"You're evil."

"No. I just think revenge is sweet."

She tossed her hair, loose now, without the senbon in it, and she seemed to revel in the eerie quiet.

"So, Uchiha-san, what do we do now?"

He smirked at her.

"No need to be so formal with me, my precious little thief."

"'Precious little thief?' That's a new one, even for you, Sasuke."

And on the two went, quiet bantering filling the empty silence.

And that was when the first tremor hit.

--

Karin stood outside the door to the shack, Suigetsu at her back.

She had to protect her precious people, and the people inside the little hovel counted as very precious people, each one of them, including the children.

"Karin!"

Someone called her name, and she turned to see Temari pulling a disgruntled Shikamaru along with her.

"Ne, Tema. What's doing here? I thought Pineapple-head there forbade you from coming."

"He did. But here's the thing. Do you really think that he'd stop me if I really wanted to come? And since I did, I forced him to come with me. It worked much better then I had anticipated. Where are Sakura and Ino and Tenten and Anko?"

"Sakura's inside, probably disemboweling the pedophile right now. Ino's out there with Shino, they're still making Swiss cheese of everything that comes too close. You can see Ino, and Shino's right behind her."

Karin bit her lip, then.

"But I don't know where Tenten, or Anko is. And it's worrying me. They should have been back by now. I know Neji won't let anything happen to Tenten, and I think Kakashi would die before he let something bad happen to Anko, but my gut tells me to be worried about them."

Temari nodded, and pulled Shikamaru all the way right up next to Karin and Suigetsu. And then Karin spoke softly, only for Temari.

"Did you see the children?"

"Seven of them, I know."

"Did Hina tell you her little theory?"

"Yup."

"What'cha think?"

"I think she's onto something."

"He's a twisted bastard."

"And he's probably dead by now."

"Good riddance."

And the four almost-adults stood there, weapons out, shredding anything non-human that came too close. Actually, they just shredded everything that came too close, human or not.


	27. Chapter 27

OMIGOD!! 180 reviews. And over15000 hits. I'm think I'm gonna die. Omigod… Oh, and I'm pissed off. If I seriously don't see some UlquiHime going in Bleach, _someone_ is gonna die.

This is really random, but I WANNA BE A NINJA-PIRATE!! XD Extra long chapter this time, because I just couldn't stop writing!!

**Disclaimer:** Why must you always hurt me like this? No, I don't own Naruto. I just wish. Sigh…

**Dedication and Cookies:** To **rosieweasely** because she got my little question right. And to Ronnie-sama, because she _also_ got my question right! To **ChristinaAngel**, and to **Youko-Kuramas-Kitsune**. All four of you got my question right! YAY! XD I'm a goober.

--

The whole compound was shaking.

"Damnit…"

As they both ran, Sakura managed to hiss out that single word, loud enough for only Sasuke to hear. Well, Sasuke and the walls, anyways.

But the roof was caving in, and so they moved faster, arms covering heads, while they tried to get out.

"Damnit…!"

Sakura spat the words out, again, like they were poison.

"Sasuke, this isn't normal."

"No shit, Sherlock."

She glared at him.

"Don't quote my lines at me, retard!"

"I am not a retar-"

And his voice was forcibly shut off as Sakura slammed her entire body into him, pulling him out of the way of a particularly dangerous bit of falling rock.

For a moment, the two of them didn't move, lying on the floor as they were, bodies pressed together, nose-to-nose. Breathing was laboured, but soft, and time stood still.

"Get up, you fatty."

Sakura snarled, and slammed her forehead into his.

They both nearly blacked out.

"Owwww…"

Sakura got up (and kicked him in the shin for good measure) and glared down at him, arms crossed over her chest. Defiance was glowing in her sea-foam green eyes, and for a moment, Sasuke was literally stunned.

"I am _not_ _fat_!!"

She kicked him in the shin again, and then waited for him to stand up. A bit of shrapnel from the roof fell, and as the ground lurched again, it sliced across her cheek. She raised a hand to her cheek, and she smeared the blood away.

After getting up, bruised ego (and probably shin) and all, he grabbed her wrist, and pulled her out of that dark place.

When they got out, the sun was rising.

"Dawn…"

Which of them murmured it, Sasuke was never to know, because then, with another lurch of the ground, the air started screaming.

It started softly, a high-pitched keening that quickly became louder and higher, 'til it truly was like the air was screaming. Sakura shuddered, and hugged her arms about herself.

"Sasuke, this whole thing… isn't over, is it?"

"I told you. The bad guy never dies until you see a body. Until you see a body, don't assume _anything_."

"You didn't say that!"

"I thought it!"

She glared at him, and then turned to stare out towards where Hinata and Naruto and the others would be. She could see Ino from here, her wheat-coloured hair shining in the false dawn, and Shino, standing next to her, scythe raised.

The air continued screaming, and the ground was still lurching about, like a living creature. And suddenly, the warming air froze.

And the screeching continued.

Sakura covered her ears, and her knees buckled, and she fell to the ground. Both Ino and Anko, in the distance, did, as well.

Sakura winced, and spat out a glob of thick, red liquid.

"I hate being an _experiment_…"

Sasuke didn't question her words. There was nothing artificial about her, but sometimes, in the way she moved, there was something… And, he noted, her hair and eyes had that something about them, too.

He reached down, and pulled her up.

"I hate you."

"I know."

She was still off-balanced, and she stumbled, if only slightly. He grabbed her and pulled her close, unaware she was slowly turning the colour of a tomato. And even as it happened, she let out a gasp of pain and clutched her side.

"Could you let me go?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You'll fall over. Sakura, you knees are shaking."

She went quiet for a moment before muttering a single, soft curse word.

"_Fuck_."

Another tremor shook the earth, but as it ended, so did the screaming in the air.

And while the screaming stopped, it did not break the growing tension. Sakura ground her teeth. The tension was so thick; she could almost hear it humming.

"Something's coming."

He inclined his head, to show he understood. But even as he went through the motions of it, he realized that she didn't require them, that they were unnecessary. She already could dissect his silences as either a positive or a negative.

It slightly unnerved him.

"That fucking bastard is _still alive_. How is he still alive?!"

She snarled, again. She seemed to have a knack for it. She leaned against him then, her breathing unnaturally soft and shallow. Sakura was shaking, and she was still clutching her side, and she was glaring at a defenceless piece of dirt on the ground. It worried him.

"Sakura?"

"Shut up. I'll be fine in a minute. Just let me breathe, 'kay?"

He inclined his head again, even though he she didn't require it. It was just an affirmation, really.

She closed her eyes, and tilted her face in the direction of the rising sun, just above the dilapidated fortress.

A single, horrifying scream broke the tension humming in the air,

Both Sasuke and Sakura gasped inaudibly, as the ground shook underneath them once again. From amidst the rubble, a giant snake rose.

Sakura, once again standing on two feet, was grinning at it maliciously, both of her silver knives unsheathed and flashing in the false dawn.

"_There_ he is. I really hate him, y'know."

She tilted her head to the side then, and opened her mouth, and voiced the most shocking battle cry Sasuke had ever heard from anyone, let alone a tiny person like Sakura. She stopped shrieking, and turned to face Sasuke with a smile.

"Sasu-chan, _this_ is why he experimented on Anko and Ino and I and all those children. He wanted to be sure it could be done.

She spat on the ground.

"Fucking bastard."

And then she walked towards the giant, writhing snake, looking like Death (a gorgeous version of Death, anyways…) with pink hair. She was _furious_, and Sasuke could attest to the fact that it probably wasn't going to get any better, not until she was sure that the pedophile was dead and gone. For good, this time.

"Ino, Tenten, Karin, Hinata!! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"

The five aforementioned females dashed to the rosette's side. Sakura knew, without a doubt, that Temari was being forced into solitary confinement, and that Shikamaru probably wasn't going to be letting her come anywhere near the huge-ass snake. To her surprise, and delight, however, she turned to see the girl sauntering up next to them.

The blonde sighed in a dramatised way, and then drawled, which was rather unusual, even for Temari.

"Did you really think I was going to miss this?"

And the six of them stood, staring at the giant white-and-dull-purple snake that was marring their perfect view of the rising sun.

Sakura pointed her dagger in the snake's direction.

"Shall we end this bastard's existence?"

Five pairs of eyes affirmed her wish. They were all in this together, and that wasn't going to change.

Sakura nodded to herself, and to the others, but she didn't take her eyes away from the giant snake.

"Well, this sucks. Six of us against one huge-ass snake, plus whatever other things are still alive." Sakura sighed as she voiced this last thought.

The air, tension broken now, was perfumed with the smell of already-decaying mutations, and the sweet smell of roses and violets. It was vile.

Perfect for such a lovely morning.

Sakura smile grimly, eyes flashing in distaste.

--

The six girls danced towards the huge snake, weapons swirling and twirling about them. There was something beautiful about it, despite how twisted it was, and the death-to-Orochimaru intent written all over it.

Anko, still shaking in Kakashi's hold, couldn't help but be proud of her girls. They were beautiful and deadly, glowing in the rising sun, just as she had trained them to be.

A vicious glee rose up in the purple-haired woman's chest.

It really was only fitting. Orochimaru's forbidden experiments and training were to be his downfall and his doom.

There was something so karmic about it, that it made Anko want to giggle madly.

Now that she thought about it, giggling madly was _exactly_ what she wanted to do. But not quite yet.

She wasn't going to start laughing and giggling and crying (and every other action that could come from the emotions swirling just beneath the surface of her skin) and smacking Sakura (and the others) and kissing Kakashi some more, not until she had proof, solid proof, that her worst enemy and former guardian was dead. But once she had that proof, it would be time to laugh and cry and smack her girls and kiss the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

There would be years to do all that.

Of course, this did depend on the insignificant fact that all her girls had to come back alive. But, of course they would. There was nothing to say they wouldn't. They all hated Orochimaru to let him do something as stupid as _kill_ one of them.

And besides, Sakura was not one to forget unpaid debts, nor unspoken explanations that were required to be voiced, both of which Anko owed them, at the very least.

Anko also had no doubt that that particular explanation would be long, and particularly painful, especially when Tenten would find out that Anko hadn't been paying attention when she'd been kidnapped in the first place.

She winced just thinking about their reaction.

But, as she watched her girls dash and dodge and shoot and slice, she could honestly say that she was proud to be their mother figure, and that she would let them have far more leeway then before, when they made a miniscule mistake.

After this gallant search-rescue-escape-and-destroy they had pulled off, she would deny them nothing at all.

Well, perhaps not _nothing_. She would not tell them of everything that had happened in this place. It would be the cause of many a nightmare, and Anko did not wish to place the girls in such a terrible mindset. She knew they would not ask, however, because it was a touchy subject, to put it mildly.

She snorted.

Touchy subject my ass.

Anko twisted in Kakashi's arms (because he had yet to let her go) to look at the male half of her rescuers.

Naruto was watching the girls, interest and slight worry in his eyes, plus two children (a boy and a girl) clutching his legs. Suigetsu, too, had a child clutching his clothes, a little girl, it seemed. Sasuke was staring at the white-and-dull-purple snake, utter disgust apparent on his features. Shikamaru was snoozing.

Anko shook her head inwardly. The boys were reacting to the scene as their natures dictated, with Neji staring blindly at Tenten, his expression love-stuck, and Shino, squinting at the still-rising sun through his dark sun-glasses.

She turned to watch her girls again, and did not let the giggle that was threatening to escape her lips out of her mouth.

--

Tenten slammed her already-blood-slick knives deep into the snake's un-armoured belly. She dragged it to the side, revolted with the way that the green-ish-red liquid splurted and pulsed out of its body. She danced out of the way of the acidic stuff, and got her body out of the way as the snake snapped his jaws at the air-space she had previously been occupying.

Sakura had already blinded the thing, having daringly climbed its back, and shoving her knives hilt-deep into its eyes. Gross, but necessary.

Hinata had managed to force it to swallow more the paralytic poison that Sakura had previously filled its body with. Ino was turning it into Swiss cheese in a slow, painful, very bloody way with those bullets of hers, and Karin was playing bait, getting close, and then dancing out of the way when the snake crunched its jaws at her, giggling madly.

Tenten pulled out one of her favourite knives, and looked at it for a short second. It was one of the poisoned-and-extra sharp ones.

She sighed.

She'd have to get it later.

She chucked it towards the snake, hard, hard enough to it embedded itself right in the snake's already-gouged-out-and-extremely-bloody eye socket.

Tenten gave herself a pat on the back for this feat, and managed to dodge out of the way as the giant snake lashed its tail her way.

She could see identically smug grins on every one of her best friend's faces. The poor little muffin, they'd gone and made it made.

Tenten stopped, put a hand on a jutted-out hip, and glared up at the ugly thing. Sakura was at its neck, but as it couldn't get at her from the way she was positioned, it settled for trying to eat Tenten, and shake the rosette off at the same time.

She tutted at him.

And then Sakura, obviously having managed to get done what she was trying to do, jumped off, and away from it. She motioned for the rest of them to get away as well, and they did so, without question.

"Three… two… one…"

It felt like the entire earth shook then, from the force of the explosion at the snake's throat. That same explosion ripped the snake's head off, and flung it far across the blood-soaked felid. The thing's body remained suspended, headless, in the air for a moment, before crashing to the ground, causing the ground to tremble again.

Sakura looked immensely please with herself, and Karin exploded with exultation, crowing at the slightly shocked girls before her.

"What did you _do_?!"

I blew his head off,"

"I can see that. How?!"

Temari smiled predatorily.

"I gave her a prototype bomb I've been working on. Apparently, it works."

The other four girls just stared at the two females in awe, and slight fear. Both of them were smirking at the dead snake's body victoriously.

"So. Now what?"

Hinata sighed softly. Just a single exhale of breath, that's all it was.

"Well, there's all those children. It's not like they have parents, or anything, so I guess that means that we have to take care of them now."

"And there's seven of them."

Karin raised her right fist.

"Am I the only one who finds this extremely weird? It you do, please raise your right fist."

Five right fists shot into the air after hers, and Karin ginned madly, until Hinata spoke up, once again being the reasonable one.

"You all realize that we're each going to have to care for one, maybe two of them, if Anko doesn't want to, anyways. If that's the case, I'll take care of a second one, but both Naruto and I have decided that Hanabi's staying with me. I'm not leaving my little sister again."

Five heads nodded at her words, right fists still raised high in the air.

As the sun rose over them, they seemed to shimmer and glimmer in the golden morning light,

Six golden avengers, free at last.

--

I do believe in **reviews.** I do! **I DO!** And so should **YOU!**

**But seriously… please review. It motivates me to write.**

**Oh, and if you're going to favorite this story (for some reason or another) can you at least review it too? A lot of people favorite my stories, but many of them don't leave reviews. I'm happy to know you liked one of my stories enough to favorite it, but I want to know exactly what you liked about it. Thank you!**


	28. Chapter 28

Wow… THIS IS THE END GUYS

Wow… **THIS IS THE END GUYS!! ** I really don't know what to say. First of all, I want to thank every person who has reviewed, Favourited, Alerted, or even just read through it once or twice. I love you all, sososo much.

This is seriously the last chapter of Bloody Blossoms. Sigh. However! I might be writing a sequel, depending on how many requests I get for one. SO! If you want a sequel, you have to let me know, 'kay?

**Disclaimer:** Me no own.

**Dedication: **To Ronnie-sama (because you're my darling, and you've stuck with me for the entire story)!! To Music 1s my s0ul (because you give me cookies, and you stuck with me, too). And to every person who's ever reviewed my lovely little story.

--

Even with the giant, dead, _ugly_ snake behind them, none of them were satisfied. There was the cleaning up to do, and the authorities to hide from, and things to steal, really.

Tenten went towards the dead snake, and poked it with her katana. Damn, she needed to find the thing's head, so that she could get that knife back… She sighed, as Sakura and the others had already walked off, towards that weird little hospital Hinata had set up.

She caught up with them, thwacking Karin unceremoniously over the top of the head.

"Ditch me, much?"

Karin smiled, fakery in her voice.

"No, _never_!"

"Bitch."

"I love you, too. Maybe, one day, we'll get married, and have children, and be happy for ever!" 

Temari raised her eyes to the sky, and shook her head at them.

"You all are idiots."

The sandy blonde stopped dead, her eyes widening.

"What?"

"The place is crumbling into pieces."

"_Shit_."

The six of them dashed for the cover of the makeshift hospital, and just as they managed to get in, Sakura could see the walls of the place breaking down, slowly, slowly.

"Shit, shit, _double shit…_"

"Can we go now?"

Kakashi, a slightly insane fear in his eyes, picked Anko up, and pointed out the door. Sakura didn't even stop, picked up one of the girls, and left the room as quickly as she could. Naruto grabbed the blonde-haired boy, hoisted him up over one shoulder, and tossed a second child on his back as well. He glared at the motionless Sasuke, who snarled, and also picked a child.

The boy looked slightly sheepish, and Sasuke just sighed at him.

The other children were swept up, each in turn, and they dashed out of the disintegrating building. And, of course, the children (being children) were laughing and shrieking with glee, like the truly twisted and depraved people who were carrying them about.

The sun had risen high now, high enough that it actually wasn't cold, and there was enough light to all of them to realize that, _ewww_, they were _covered_ in the gook from the dead lizard-gooky-slimy-gross-t_hings_ they had been fighting earlier on.

"Urgh. Sasuke, come and take this one. We need to get home, and get cleaned up. This day was fucking exhausting."

The little girl tilted her head up at Sakura, slight anger in her eyes, a pout on her lips, and her fingers dug into Sakura's top.

"My name is Aki. Don't say bad words. And I don't really care that you're slimy."

Sakura looked at the tiny girl incredulously, before bursting out in laughter made of ringing bells. The little girl wrinkled her nose oh-so-delicately and muttered a quiet "Nut."

This really did not stop the laughter, not at all. In fact, it probably made it worse, to the point where Sakura, still holding the small child, had doubled over, she was laughing so hard. Anko, too, got caught up in it; all of them did, until all the almost-adults in the vicinity were wiping tears of laughter from their eyes.

The children did _not_ look amused.

"Sa-Sakura, we've got another _you_ right there! She's a young you!"

"Are you implying I am _old_, Naruto-baka?!"

The man in question gulped, and hid behind the still-giggling Hinata.

"Please don't hurt me!"

She glared.

"You _wish_."

Yuhi, who was still clinging to the blond man, scrunched his nose, a habit Aki had apparently picked up from him.

"Don't be mean, baa-chan!"

Sakura twitched, and looked at the blond-haired carbon copy of Naruto. He, too, gulped, and he, too, hid behind both Naruto and Hinata, while Sakura glared at them. fury in her eyes.

"I AM _NOT OLD!!_"

And then, in a tiny voice, they both muttered two words.

"Yes ma'am."

Sakura smirked in victory.

Anko sighed, and shook her head. Already, the little black-haired girl, the one with the big dark green eyes, she was looking up at Sakura, adoration in her eyes.

"Teach me how to do that! I wanna know how to make Yuhi listen to me!"

"Alright then. I'll teach you how to make evil boys obey you, but you gotta make a promise to keep it secret, 'kay?"

The little girl nodded seriously, determination shining in her eyes. She had decided right then, having seen how scared Yuhi and Yuhi's older version were; she had decided she wanted to be Sakura.

"C'mon guys. Let's go home. I'm so tired."

Kakashi nodded at Anko's statement.

"Where to?"

The purple-haired woman sighed, before mumbling out a single, garbled, word-like sound.

"Home."

"She means _our_ home. As in, the place where she was kidnapped from yesterday."

She looked slightly shocked.

"Was that really only… _yesterday_?!"

Both Tenten's and Karin's mouths dropped. Had this really only been an entire day?! How could that be possible? So many things, so many emotional shocks. All of it had happened in so little time.

Just like the Da Vinci Code!

Temari, holding the dirt-blond Moegi, sighed. The girl had yet to lift her face out of the crook of her neck. Shikamaru was on her other side, arm around both her waist, and the small child.

Anko sighed softly, in both wistfulness, and happiness.

The looked like a _family_.

And right then and there, she knew her family of seven had just been tripled. It wouldn't just be her and the girls anymore. It would be her, the girls, the boys, Kakashi, the children, and any pets that might eventually include.

The thought made her smile.

And that smile led to a smirk, because she had an entire array of new children to train! Of course, knowing herself as well as she did, she would probably drag a _very_ unwilling Kakashi to help her.

It was so ironic.

She had worked _so hard_ to keep her girls safe from the evils that (she thought) were Sharingan. And they ended up falling in love with the (supposed) jerks, all the same.

Besides, she had no right to talk.

--

Sakura sighed and slipped into the shower.

The boys had already gone back to their place, to get cleaned up, and to rest a bit, before they decided what was going to happen.

Were they going to go back to hating each other? Were they going to go to the monotony of a normal life, where they didn't steal anything? Were they going to go back to every job they'd ever done, or was that all going to end?

Sakura twitched.

She was _not_ going to stop lifting everything she could lay her hands on, just because stupid Sasuke told her so. If he thought he could control her, he had another thing coming.

That other thing was specifically her fist.

The other question lay in the children. Hinata was currently keeping them amused, save for Aki, who had insisted on staying with Sakura, going so far as to have insisted she sit in Sakura's room, waiting for the older female to get cleaned up.

Sakura smiled, because really, it was like having a younger sister, or a very determined daughter.

This must have been how Anko had felt when she took them all in, that very long time ago. Sakura decided it was a nice feeling that she could live with.

And, of course, Sakura had already decided she would start training the girl the next day. And there was plenty to teach her. No, of course she hadn't been planning it since earlier. Psh, ya _right_.

--

Hinata was currently surrounded by children, only one of whom she was actually related to.

Hanabi was clutching her hand, still obviously shaken, but smiling now, too. Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi were having an animated discussion about which adult they liked the best. Obito and Yuhi were both sitting on the floor, looking so much like younger versions of Sasuke and Naruto; it was more then slightly eerie. Aki was upstairs, virtually stalking Sakura.

Hinata had no doubt, right then and there, that she'd be babysitting these little monsters more often then not. She turned to look at them all, and noted that they were all looking back at her.

"Are you guys hungry?"

Six pairs of eyes met hers in that instant, and then six heads started to nod frantically. Hinata could not blame them; she had no idea when the last time they ate was.

"Go get a little bit cleaned up, and then I'll make you guys something to eat. No pushing no shoving, either. Most of you are still bruised, and I don't want you making it any worse, alright?"

The children did as they were told, obviously still too much in awe of the fact that somebody cared about them to argue.

Hinata smirked.

That awe would probably not last all that long. They were still children, after all.

A few minutes later, the children filed in, all of them silent. Hinata cocked an eyebrow at them, and she stopped, long enough to look at them, hands on her hips.

"Is something wrong?"

The mumbled chorus of soft "No"'s startled her. There was definitely something wrong, but they all sat down at the table, each slowly taking tentative bites of the melted cheese and crackers Hinata had placed in front of them.

They chewed slowly, waited for a moment, expressions a mix between terror and extreme happiness, before gobbling down the rest.

Hinata realized, with a wince, that they thought it might have been poisoned. What had Orochimaru put these little ones through?

They all looked up at her, eyes pleading for more. She laughed, and handed them a plate of cookies. She told them, (firmly enough, she thought) that two each were enough. She watched Yuhi palm a third one, a slight of hand tick Naruto used often enough.

She raised a single eyebrow at him, and he guiltily put it back. He could see the amused smile playing at her lips, so he knew she wasn't really all that angry.

"Two guys, just two. We're going to be having a big supper, so I need your help to get it made, all right?"

They nodded rapidly, understanding the hidden message. They knew this dinner would be vital to their future, of which adult they'd end up with, and whether or not they were even staying.

They all knew there was a possibility they wouldn't be wanted.

"But first, we have to get you all some clean clothes. Moegi, could you go find Ino for me, please?"

The girl looked confused.

"Ino?"

"The tall blond who brought Udon in."

"'Kay! I'll be right back!"

The small dirty-blond-haired girl ran off, and Hinata had a feeling she was going to search every room until she found the woman she was looking for.

Hinata gave the girl a mental pat on the back. Good thieving behaviour, that was. Then, she smacked herself on the forehead. The girl would probably end up bothering people who wouldn't want to be bothered.

"Hanabi, could you watch these guys for a sec?"

Hanabi tilted her head to the side, pursed her lips (Hinata found this to be highly reminiscent of their mother) and then nodded her head with a smile. She nodded her head towards the door, indicating that Hinata should go. Hinata noted the immeasurable grace put into this small movement, and smiled.

When Hanabi was older, Hinata was fairly certain they'd look like twins.

And, besides, immeasurable grace ran in the family.

The children were staring at her, as she pulled out a few more things that would be required for dinner tonight. As she left the room, she noted that the children were all staring at her.

It almost made her blush.

--

"Ino! Ino! Where are you?!"

As she zoomed down the hall, calling for the requested blond, she slammed headfirst into someone much bigger then herself. She gasped ad waited for the usual punishment.

It never came.

Temari was looking down at her, worry in her slanted teal eyes.

"Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?"

Moegi shook her head, no, and was about to open her mouth to speak, but thought better of it.

No. Hinata had asked her to Ino, and find Ino, she would.

"Ummm… I'm fine. D'you know where Ino is?!"

Temari smiled at the breathless girl. She had obviously been running for a good time now.

"She's right down the hall, through the second-to-last door on the right. Did Hinata ask you to find her?"

Moegi nodded.

"So she's after clothes for all you little ones, isn't she? Well then, let's go find Ino!"

Temari reached out her hand, and the little girl took it without hesitation. There would be no more nightmares for this little one, Temari promised.

--

Moegi tugged both blondes towards the kitchen, determined to complete her assigned mission. Along the way, they had run into Hinata, who had howled with laughter at the look of willpower on the little girl's face.

The three women, plus one very determined little girl, entered the kitchen.

Hanabi was staring at them helplessly, as the boys were gobbling down cookie after cookie after cookie.

Hinata let out a single, low growl.

All four of them gulped, and turned towards the livid Hinata. And, while Hinata way often tiny and docile, right at this moment she was definitely _not_.

Well, she was still tiny, but she was definitely not _docile_. She was _furious_, and it was rolling off her in waves. Then it seemed to drain, and her shoulders slumped with a sigh.

"I'm going to be terrible mother. I'll never be able to stay mad at them. Com on boys, we're going to go buy you something to wear."

--

Four hours and fourteen people sitting around a table comfortable for seven, and they were good to go.

Hinata had put the children to bed (except Aki, because the little girl had once again insisted that Sakura be the one to put her to bed, and while Hinata found this randomly very funny, Sakura did not appreciate the teasing).

As they got down to the kitchen (the single room in the house where all major life decisions were made) they both noted how closely Anko and Kakashi were twined together, and just how hard Neji was clutching Tenten's hand. Suigetsu had his arm wrapped around Karin's waist, and his lips were pressed into her hair. Ino was curled up into Shino's chest, and Shikamaru and Temari were simply staring at each other.

It was nice. Quiet, too.

Sakura took a deep breath as Hinata sat down next to Naruto, and sat down next to Sasuke.

He put his arm around the back of her chair, and gently rubbed his fingers across the nape of her neck

The old Sakura would have balked, and slammed her elbow into his ribs. As it was, she only shoved her elbow into his ribs, albeit lightly, to get him to focus.

"So."

The other thirteen almost-adults turned to look at Hinata. All the attention was causing her to turn red, but she did not stutter. She was far too worn out to stutter.

"What are we going to do with them?"

Both Hinata and Naruto answered Suigetsu's question at the same time.

"We're keeping them."

They looked at each other then (with that sickeningly soft smile that people who've just fallen in love wear when they look at each other) and she softly touched his hand underneath the table.

"So who's keeping who?"

Sakura smirked.

"I'm sticking with Aki. She already told me she wants to _be me_ when she's older."

Sasuke looked scandalized (well, as scandalized as he could, really…).

"Another _you_?! One is _more_ then enough!!"

Sakura snarled, and cracked her knuckles.

"Are you implying something, Uchiha?!"

He quailed under the glare she was sending him. No. Sasuke Uchiha did not _quail_. He looked away very quickly and pretended that he wasn't scared shitless.

Of course he wasn't scared.

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, a victorious smirk on her lips.

Hinata tilted her head, and opened her mouth to speak, just as Anko. She nodded to the elder woman, and Anko spoke.

"I'm sorry girls, but Kakashi and I talked it over earlier. We decided we'd rather let you lovely people take care of them. We want to wait for our own."

Smirks, grins, small grins touched the lips of the younger generation, depending on each of their natures.

"So does this mean we're allowed to like each other?"

Both Anko and Kakashi nodded, unsure of what to expect. Sakura started muttering about they couldn't have stopped her either way (of course), and the rest just cheered. Loudly. Very loudly. The eldest two looked more then slightly frightened, and yet, at the same time, it was sadly amusing.

After said cheering had died down, Hinata sighed in exasperation. If the children had actually been sleeping before, they wouldn't be now. Actually, Hinata had highly doubted they'd been asleep in the first place. Hanabi might have been, but the others? No way in fucking hell.

Naruto shrugged, then.

"If it's all the same to all of you, I'll take Yuhi. The brat's grown on me. And I know Hanabi's staying with Hinata, because they're related, and hell, can you really blame her?"

It was quiet, then, for a moment.

Sakura's voice came, next.

"I don't want to split the, up. The children, I mean. I don't think it'd be good for them. They've been shaken up by this whole thing. Actually, we've all been shaken up by it, yes Sasuke, don't look at me like that, and do we have to do this now? I bet you anything there are seven pairs of feet waiting just outside that door. I will bet you _anything_."

"Five bucks, and bragging rights."

"You're on."

While the others kept up the pretence of deciding whether or not the children were actually just in the next room over, listening in or not, Hinata snuck up to the door, and threw it open.

Seven children fell in a heap at her feet.

Sakura grinned.

"Pay up, Uchiha. I told you so! C'mon, what kid _doesn't_ love eavesdropping? Seriously Sasuke, you must have been dropped on your head as a baby, or something."

Sasuke growled at her, only to realize that she wasn't listening to him anymore. Her attention had been diverted by the small (and in Sasuke's opinion evil, and attention-stealing) girl.

Sakura put said small, evil, Sakura's-attention-stealing girl on her lap, and then said child turned towards him and sent him a brilliant smile.

Damn her, she knew she had Sakura's attention, and she was revelling in it. He nearly growled at the still-beaming-at-him-because-she-knows-he's-jealous girl-child.

Apparently, the fallen children, all of whom were now standing, had made their choices.

Sasuke turned, and was surprised to note a boy standing next to him. His eyes widened a fraction, just a fraction, when he realized how much the boy resembled him. They had the same bone structure, and the same bottomless-pit eyes.

"I'm Obito."

"Sasuke Uchiha."

They nodded at each other, before both turning and glaring at the _still-beaming­ _Aki. Apparently Aki and Obito weren't all that fond of each other, because her smile immediately soured into a obviously much-used glare.

Sasuke mentally cheered.

Anko and Kakashi watched the proceedings with amusement.

"Well then. I guess we're going to be needing a bigger house."

--

OMIGOD IT'S DONE!!


End file.
